By Kath 19/2/04
February 19 2004

Sir Clive Woodward England's Head Coach talks to Zurich's Andrew Titheridge about James Simpson-Daniel, Steve Borthwick and England v Scotland.

For immediate release: 19 February 2004
Issued on behalf of Zurich

 Report with Sir Clive Woodward
Speaking to www.zurichpremiership.com

Andrew Titheridge:  Clive a player who has been knocking on the door and had the odd couple of games, although he seems to be beset with injuries - is James Simpson-Daniel?

Clive Woodward:   He is actually back, he did a fitness Tuesday, I think that he came through it. If he is fit I hope that he will play for his club Gloucester, they have got a game in the Zurich Premiership this weekend.

I think that at a push he could play for us this weekend but I wanted to go on a settled team, to bring in James for this game would have been a big ask of him as we have got hardly any preparation time this week and I think that we need to move on with a settled team this weekend. So I hope that he will play for his club this weekend and he will be right in contention for
the game against Ireland.

Andrew Titheridge:  Steve Borthwick was given a two week ban for an incident that happened in the Zurich Premiership match between Bath and London Wasps - will he have to work his way back into the side or will he automatically get in?

Clive Woodward:   No there is nothing automatic you take your chances when you are given them. I feel sorry for Steve Borthwick, a two week ban for the actual offence probably meant that they thought he wasn't guilty because it was a pretty serious charge and it will be a couple of weeks that he will be disappointed to lose. He will be disappointed because I know that he was hoping to be involved this weekend, and that's why along with Worsley I delayed the team announcement.

Borthwick is not a dirty player, he just came into the ruck the wrong way round, and it actually looks a lot worse on the TV than when you were at the game. If you see the reaction of Dallaglio and he was on the receiving end, Lawrence just got up, shook his head and got on with the next lineout. If something really serious had happened you can tell by the other players
reaction. I feel sorry for Borthers, the disciplinary guys do a great job and I have always supported them, so he has got his too week ban and unfortunately misses out this weekend. These things happen, I don't know who Bath are playing the following week but clearly we will be down their again watching him and the usual suspects!

Andrew Titheridge: The game on Saturday is late afternoon, the pitch will be slippery, Scotland will come out all guns blazing, they have got nothing to loose and they are playing the World Champions. But can England cope with everything that the Scots will throw at them?

Clive Woodward:    I wouldn't say that we can cope with everything but we are a very experienced side now despite where we play and at what time we play and we will have to play France at nine o'clock at night and in Scotland it is only 5.30pm. I am hoping that the pitch up there is in good shape, it normally is, we have a saying that we will play anyone, anytime, anywhere. We like playing at Twickenham and we prefer to play at home and we are looking forward to playing Ireland.

We haven't played at Twickenham for a long time now in a full international but we are also looking forward to going up to Scotland, it is always more challenging playing away from home. My mindset is that you have to put all the ballyhoo that goes on before all the England Scotland games and all the passion stuff, it is something that we have got buckets of but we just talk about what are going to do on the pitch.

We have got to go out and play, we did some very good things against Italy but we also did one or two things that we need to improve upon. The game has moved on massively and it is just about fifteen on fifteen and getting it technically right and I am pretty sure that we will do that at the weekend.

ENDS