South Africa, who rose from the ashes of last year's abortive World Cup campaign to secure the Tri-Nations title, could very nearly scoop the pool at next month's International Rugby Board awards ceremony.

The Springbok centre Marius Joubert and the flanker Schalk Burger are two of the five nominees for player of the year, along with France's Serge Betsen, the Ireland centre Gordon D'Arcy and the Australia utility back Matt Giteau.

Also, South Africa's Jake White is in line for coach of the year and the Springboks will vie for the team-of-the-year title with France, who won the Six Nations, and Portugal, who found success in the European Nations Cup and the Rugby World Cup sevens qualifiers.

England's only interest is in the sevens category, with Simon Amor and Ben Gollings nominated for the player-of-the-year award with Argentinia's Lucio López Fleming. D'Arcy is the only senior player or coach from the other three home unions to be nominated.

Ireland, Scotland and Wales did have another reason to celebrate yesterday after agreeing a rights deal with the BBC for their autumn internationals until the end of the decade.

Leicester's head coach John Wells was yesterday counting the cost of England training this week which has left him with three injured forwards: Martin Corry, Graham Rowntree and Louis Deacon. Corry and Rowntree are named in the team to face Bath at Welford Road on Saturday but face fitness tests tomorrow. Leicester have replaced Deacon with the England lock Ben Kay.

Bath are refusing to respond to the comments of their former centre Mike Catt, now with London Irish after 12 years at the Recreation Ground. Catt claimed the club had been taken over by a "back-stabbing regime".

Gloucester may include the England prop Phil Vickery, who played for the reserves this week five months after a back operation, on the bench against Harlequins at Kingsholm on Saturday.