Smith takes centre stage as All Blacks go for broke
New Zealand regard Italy as at least as great a threat in their group as Scotland, whom the All Blacks face at Murrayfield later this month, and will field what their head coach Graham Henry describes as close to his strongest side against the Azzurri in Marseille on Saturday.
With the centre Conrad Smith fit again, only the wing Doug Howlett, chosen ahead of Joe Rokocoko, could be described as something less than an automatic choice, while the second row Keith Robinson, who will miss the opening two matches because of injury, would probably not have got in ahead of Ali Williams. "I would not like to be one of our selectors," said the second row Chris Jack. "Every position is hotly contested and the players chosen for Saturday all know we have to lay down a marker. Italy will be tough opponents; the pair of us are the most consistent teams in the group and they showed against Ireland last month that they are a real handful."
New Zealand Muliaina; Howlett, Smith, McAlister, Sivivatu; Carter, Kelleher; Woodcock, Mealamu, Hayman, Jack, Williams, Collins, McCaw (capt), So'oialo. Replacements Oliver, Tialata, Thorne, Lauaki, Leonard, Mauger, MacDonald.
Organisers target excessive padding
World Cup officials are to launch a clampdown on players wearing excessive protective padding. "Several teams are wearing what can only be described as American football garb," warned Paddy O'Brien, the International Board's referee manager. "We are going to inspect the players' clothing in the dressing room and also when the players are on the field after the anthems."
Crooked scrum feeds, flankers who fail to stay bound and illegal blocking will all be more strictly policed and O'Brien is also demanding a sharp improvement from his touch-judges, describing the standard over the past 12 months as "appalling". Ticket sales for the World Cup have now passed 2.1m with organisers predicting a surplus of £90m. The inaugural tournament in 1987 made a profit of just £1.
Thomas will not stop at century
The Wales captain Gareth Thomas will, barring injury, win his 100th cap during the World Cup and has no plans to retire. "I will always be available for Wales," said the 33-year-old Thomas. "A time will come, probably sooner rather than later, when they do not want me, but that has to be the choice of the coach.
"To me, players who retire from international rugby while carrying on with their clubs are saying one thing: I am afraid of being dropped and am going to get out on my own terms before the axe falls. I have no hang-ups about being dropped. It has happened to me many times in my career and it will again. You have to accept it and move on."
Wallaby Waugh left kicking his heels
Australia's vice-captain Phil Waugh has been left out of the squad to play Japan in Lyon on Saturday. The full-back Chris Latham starts his first game of the year after knee surgery. Stirling Mortlock has been passed fit and leads the Wallabies after recovering from a back injury.
Premiership newcomers Leeds are to step up their attempt to sign Australia's fly-half Stephen Larkham, who will retire from Test rugby after the World Cup, had signed a two-year deal with Edinburgh but changes at the Celtic League side have put the move in jeopardy and he is expected to become available once more. "We are in the market for world-class players and Stephen Larkham is certainly in that category," confi rmed Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington. Lucas Ostiglia is named as Argentina's No8 in place of injured Gonzalo Longo for tomorrow night's tournament opener against France in Paris.
Australia Latham; Ashley-Cooper, Mortlock (capt), Giteau, Tuqiri; Larkham, Gregan; Dunning, Moore, Baxter, Sharpe, Vickerman, Elsom, Smith, Palu. Replacements Freir, Shepherdson, McMeniman, Hoiles, Barnes, Mitchell, Gerard.
Argentina Corleto; Borges, M Contepomi, F Contepomi, Agulla; Hernandez, Pichot (capt); Roncero, Ledesma, Scelzo, I Fernandez Lobbe, Albacete, J Fernandez Lobbe, Leguizamon. Replacements Basualdo, Gonzalez Bonorino, Alvarez, Durand, Fernandez Miranda, Todeschini, Senillosa.
