For immediate release: 24 March 2004
Issued on behalf of Zurich

Zurich Report with Sir Clive Woodward
Speaking on www.zurichpremiership.com

Andrew Titheridge:  Clive, a problem with Paul Grayson?

Sir Clive Woodward:    It's a problem we've known about and we will give him a fitness test this morning, we knew yesterday when I announced the team but I wanted to announce the team properly yesterday. I would say he is pretty doubtful which we had known and Barkley is aware of the situation and Olly will come straight in, he trained with the team yesterday. But I would be surprised if Grayson does actually make it. So Barkley will start.

Andrew Titheridge: Can a player like Mike Catt feel aggrieved as he is on the bench? Surely he is next in line?

Sir Clive Woodward: No. If Mike Catt was a front line goal-kicker then yes he would feel aggrieved but he does not. You've got to start a Test match with a proven goal kicker, which Grayson is, and Olly Barkley is as he proved last weekend. Catt is really covering more for the centre positions. Although we are not looking for a change at 10, Catt would go there if he had to. But Catt is really looking to cover Greenwood and Tindall.

Andrew Titheridge:: The Grayson injury - is it long-term or just a recurrence?

Sir Clive Woodward: It's funny, he is a player that rarely gets injured and has not been injured all season, he is a very durable player. He just had a slight calf strain last week, we thought it was very minor but it doesn't seem to go away. We gave him a run yesterday afternoon and it was still troubling him and we are going to make final call on this this morning. We are not going to wait until Friday, I will make a final decision at 10am this morning but I am pretty certain Grayson won't play and Barkley will step up which I'm fine about because it was a close call anyway.  I think it was right to go for Grayson in terms of his experience for this game but it was not to be and I am very happy to go with young Barkley. It brings a left foot kicking option and balances the side up even better.

Andrew Titheridge: Nobody else is likely to drop out at this stage Clive?

Sir Clive Woodward: No, we fly this evening.  It's been a tough few weeks if we are honest. We were very battered after the Welsh game and we are hardly training at all this week, which is why you have to go with a settled team. You've just got to get everybody recovered, this is based on our World Cup experience, you've just got to go game-by-game and most of the coaching is done in the classroom, its just walking and talking and so you have got to have an experienced team. We are really looking forward to this game and it is going to be a great match-up on Saturday night.

Andrew Titheridge: The mind games have started already. Bernard Laporte is quoted as saying that he wishes England 'peace and love'; I'm not sure what that means?

Sir Clive Woodward: We'll just go for the love I think! But I am not sure what he means by that! I'm not sure they are mind games, I think we have to talk to the press and we enjoy the banter with the press and all the stories that come out of it. We've had by our own standards not a disappointing season but the loss to Ireland stands out; it's the first loss at Twickenham for four and a half years. It is disappointing but you have to put those things behind you we just look forward to the next game. We, more than anybody else, pride ourselves on our win-loss record against the top sides in the world. At the
moment we have beaten the Southern Hemisphere  sides 12 times in a row including the World Cup Final and that is the record I am most proud of. I am also very proud of our record against France. These are sides when you really want to judge yourself and judge your team so especially with France going for the Grand Slam we are determined to win this game.

ENDS

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