There's trouble in the England camp

By DAVID LEGGAT in Brisbane

England insist they have not shown their full capabilities in the World Cup and are hoping the intensity of the knockout stage will help lift their game, according to coach Clive Woodward.

The English squad arrived in Brisbane yesterday to prepare for Sunday's quarter-final against Wales with injury worries and looking for a psychological shot in the arm.

England had two games in Perth and one in Melbourne before Sunday night's romp against Uruguay at Suncorp Stadium, at which they prepared for, and then returned to, the Gold Coast.

But Brisbane is one of Australia's two real rugby strongholds, along with Sydney, and having three of the quarter-finalists based here this week will heighten the pressure for the coming weekend.

Scotland arrived yesterday for their game against the Wallabies, who are at their Coffs Harbour base down the coast until late in the week.

"We haven't played anywhere near as well as we should, and can," Woodward said of their pool games, which included tough battles with South Africa and Samoa.

"Moving to Brisbane will give us a complete change of mindset. Lose a game and you're on the plane the following day."

Of their injury worries, wing Iain Balshaw's leg injury is causing some concern, but England's big hope is that outstanding blindside flanker Richard Hill will be fit in time for Sunday.

England's problems at the ruck and breakdown have stemmed in significant part to his absence since picking up a hamstring injury in the opening pool game against Georgia.

Hill is the cement in the pack and his availability is regarded as critical alongside Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio.

To that end, he is likely to be given every chance to be fit to face Wales.

There was a time when England-Wales games were the most important on the international calendar for the two nations.

That is probably still the case for the embattled Welsh, but Woodward is well past that.

"My mentality is about being the best in the world and that's not about beating Wales, it's about beating the Southern Hemisphere teams regularly."

The trick for Wales will be finding the inspiration to back up again from that stirring 53-37 loss to face another contest of at least comparable intensity.

"We've got to saddle it," Welsh coach Steve Hansen said last night of the emotional high his team experienced on Sunday night.

"We have to use it to our best advantage."

And his gut feeling?

"If we do things right in our preparation they'll stand up again.

"Whether we can return to the same level we'll have to wait and see."

Welsh fullback Garan Evans, who was carried off on Sunday night with a head injury, is out of the reckoning for the quarter-final.

The Welsh team will not be named until Friday.