For immediate release: 09 February 2004
 Issued on behalf of Zurich

 Zurich Rugby Clive Woodward Interview
 for www.zurichpremiership.com

Andrew Titheridge: Clive, a new season a new side.  Was it difficult selecting this side?

Clive Woodward: Yes it was difficult - it was challenging and enjoyable as well with new players coming into a World Cup winning team.  We had to make changes due to injury and retirement, I'm very excited about it and I'm looking forward again to working with Lawrence Dallaglio, and Will Greenwood who steps into the vice captaincy role.

Andrew Titheridge: Nice to see Will as Vice Captain, he certainly earned that spot?

Clive Woodward: He's a tremendous leader behind the scenes and he's always helped Wilkinson out a lot in that role.  Now with Jonny not being available its important he steps into the frame and he leads, especially in our attacking play.

Andrew Titheridge: Several players you've left out, the most notable of course being Neil Back -  Kyran Bracken, Martin Corry, Graham Rowntree as well. Are their careers now finished?

Clive Woodward: The complete opposite.   I've had a long chat with all of them yesterday. They're not easy phone calls but they also know how we operate.  It is a brutal business this and I've got to be very very clear that I'm picking what I regard as the best team.  I think its fair to say we've been looking at Joe Worsley for quite some time including the World Cup where we looked closely at him.  But I think Neil was ahead then, I think in the last couple of months Worsley's form for Wasps forces him into the team but that's at Back's expense. As I said to Neil, he just hasn't been picked for this game and I didn't want to bring Backy down here to act just as opposition.  He's got a lot going on at his club as well, clearly he is very disappointed and a bit shocked, but that's the business we're in and I don't think we've seen the last of Neil Back as regards his career for England.  And that applies to all the other guys we mentioned.

Andrew Titheridge: Paul Grayson in at fly half.  That will probably surprise some people as they may have been expecting one of the younger players to take over but Grayson is the safest option isn't he?

Clive Woodward: I don't think its safe and I don't think it goes on age. He's the best player and I'm also very mindful that we've had absolutely no training time at all since the World Cup and I think to throw in Olly Barkley or Alex King with hardly any preparation would be a big call, especially away from home.

The starting XV are all the guys who played in the World Cup and prepared for the World Cup and I expect them to move very smoothly into gear, we obviously watched all the candidates over the weekend. I watched Barkley and King on the video but in the back of my mind I was always going to go with Grayson for this game, its an important game for England, its important we win and move on from the World Cup, and at this stage its important to put it in the hands of people you know and have been working with for the last three months.

Andrew Titheridge: Andy Gomarsall took a bit of a back seat in the World Cup but you've put him in as number one and I know he will be absolutely thrilled?

Clive Woodward: Yes I've actually not told him yet. I never tell the good news first, always the bad news.  Again he's been playing very well and I'm delighted  with his attitude.  During the World Cup he handled himself brilliantly both on and off the pitch.  He played a major role in England winning the World Cup.  He's been playing particularly well whereas Dawson's only played one game, which is why from number one he just moves back onto the bench. We've just got to get him playing a bit more.  I don't think Bracken has been playing as well as Gomarsall.  Again you've got to be brutally honest with what you see, sentiment doesn't come into it at all, all the players know  that and that's how we operate and is one of the secrets of our success.

To me it's a very exciting team, I look forward to seeing Robinson playing again in the centre.  We did look at Henry there and Olly Barkley there but there again I just wanted to pick XV players to start with who are used to training together, know all the calls and get straight into it and I don't think this was the game to make too much experimentation.

Andrew Titheridge: But new players on the bench - Olly Barkley, Henry Paul and of course Chris Jones of Sale Sharks?

Clive Woodward: I think its an exciting bench.  Henry Paul's there on merit and he's covering the 12 position. If Robinson should get injured, Greenwood would move out - I think Paul's now found his position and we don't want to mess him around too much.  I think he's playing really well for his club, I watched him at the weekend.  He's there on merit and covering for Greenwood.  All the substitutions in the backs will take place around him.

Andrew Titheridge:: And it's a winning side?

Clive Woodward:   As far as I'm concerned it's a winning side but it's a big difference playing away from home.  The Six Nations is a very difficult tournament and it's the world champions against Italy.  I spoke to the Italian coach John
Kirwan last week and everyone who knows rugby will know that they are one of the most physical teams out there and they were hard done by in the World Cup, it was a ridiculous fixture list they were given.  So although they did not have the best of World Cups we know how tough it is to play down there.  We've made some changes, I'm looking forward to working with this team now, starting with a win in the Six Nations.

 ENDS

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