Man from uncle at the ready

SYDNEY - England winger Ben Cohen could become the second member of his family to win a World Cup on Saturday, but although his uncle George has a ticket for the match, he is without one for the plane.

George Cohen, right-back in the 1966 World Cup-winning soccer side, is on standby, but his 25-year-old nephew hopes he will make it.

"He is coming out to the game," said the Northampton star, whose uncle has become even more important to him since his father was shot dead outside the nightclub he owned two years ago.

"However, he is struggling to get on an aircraft."

Cohen said his uncle had not given him any advice about how to cope with the pressures of playing in a cup final.

"He had already advised me on how to cope with international sport when I was first capped," said the powerfully-built winger, who says he would have become a policemen had he failed at rugby.

"Basically, he said to use every match as a learning experience.

"He told me the pressure now would be the same as when he was playing, but to enjoy the game and let it pass you by."

Cohen admitted his uncle had found it hard to come to terms with his choice of sport.

"He couldn't understand that I had opted for another code, but he has helped me a lot nevertheless once he was over the shock," said Cohen, who took rugby up aged 12 when he read about it on his school noticeboard.



He said he would not let the occasion get to him and added that it couldn't be a better setting or scenario playing against bitter rivals Australia.

* Ian Botham, one British sportsman with a reputation as a slayer of Australians, says England must try to forget who and where they are playing in the final.

"Just forget they're Aussies - you're the best team in the world," said Botham, who is in Sri Lanka commentating with the England cricket team.

"Of course, Australia is a great sporting nation and I love them to death, but you have to be ruthless when dealing with them on a playing field.

"They always play it tough, but they become even tougher the moment you let them get under your skin and you start believing they're better than they actually are."

- AGENCIES

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