Sport

Woodward threatens to take his team off

England: Incensed with the handling of England's 83-21 romp against USA at the University Sports Ground in Los Angeles late on…

Thu Jun 14 2001 - 01:00

England: Incensed with the handling of England's 83-21 romp against USA at the University Sports Ground in Los Angeles late on Monday night, coach Clive Woodward threatened to haul his team off the pitch with 15 minutes to go.

Woodward's ire was chiefly directed at Al Klemp, one of the two American touch-judges, although he denied the withdrawal threat was serious.

"I would never have taken the team off, but I wanted to make the touch-judge aware of his job and start watching what was going on," he said.

The row obscured a routine 13-try romp by the visitors. Tom Voyce grabbed a hat-trick of tries, while wing duo David Rees and Paul Sackey each collected a brace.

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Yesterday, Wasps centre Fraser Waters was chosen to make his England debut in Saturday's Test against he United States in San Fransisco.

England (v US, San Francisco)J Lewsey (Wasps); L Lloyd (Leicester), F Waters (Wasps), J Noon (Newcastle), M Stephenson (Newcastle); D Walder (Newcastle), K Bracken (Saracens, capt); G Rowntree (Leicester), D West (Leicester), J White (Saracens), S Shaw (Wasps), S Borthwick (Bath), S White-Cooper (Harlequins), L Moody (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps).

Replacements: A Long (Bath), D Flatman (Saracens), T Palmer (Leeds), P Sanderson (Harlequins), M Wood (Wasps), O Barkley (Bath), T Voyce (Bath).

All Blacks: Uncapped openside flanker Marty Holah (24), kept former captain Taine Randell out of the All Black side named yesterday for Saturday's rugby union Test against Samoa at North Harbour, to become the 999th All Black, alongside Ron Cribb and Reuben Thorne in the back row.

Jeff Wilson, returning to the international scene after a season off, plays at left wing, in place of the dropped Jonah Lomu.

Hooker Anton Oliver will captain the All Blacks for the first time, following his father Frank, who skippered New Zealand in three Tests in 1978.

New Zealand (v Samoa)L MacDonald; D Howlett, T Umaga, P Alatini, J Wilson; T Brown, B Kelleher; C Hoeft, A Oliver (capt), G Somerville, N Maxwell, T Flavell, R Thorne, M Holah, R Cribb. Replacements: M Hammett, C Hayman, C Jack, T Randell, J Marshall, A Mehrtens, M Ranby.

Philips Manager Of The Month: Willie Anderson, who guided Dungannon to the All-Ireland League title at Lansdowne Road last month, has won the Philips manager of the month award for May.