Llanelli 20 Northampton 22

London Irish 21 Northampton 22

Northampton are set to be without six injured internationals for their Powergen Cup tie against neighbours Bedford.

Zurich Premiership team Northampton today parted company with head coach Alan Solomons.

Former South Africa captain Corne Krige will lead Northampton in their friendly against Edinburgh on Saturday.

Northampton Saints have signed former South Africa captain Corne Krige.

IRELAND centres Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy have agreed to play for the Barbarians on next month's three-match tour of Britain.

The Barbarians have added the Irish centre pairing, the most dangerous centre partnership in world rugby, to their squad for next month’s three-match tour of Britain.

Jake White took over as Springbok coach yesterday with the task of restoring the fortunes of one of the great rugby nations.

Former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis has quit as South African Rugby board director.

Springbok captain Corne Krige has announced his retirement from international action, preferring to spend more time with his family and a representative career with the Super 12 Stormers and his club Western Province.

South Africa Rugby president Silas Nkanunu has ordered an urgent meeting of the board of directors at which Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli’s future will come under renewed scrutiny.

THE meeting of two nations with a long and mutual loathing of each other gets an absorbing programme of World Cup quarter-finals under way in Melbourne’s Telstra Dome tomorrow.

South Africa coach Rudolf Straeuli expressed every faith in inexperienced fly-half Derick Hougaard, who was today named in the Springboks’ side to play New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-finals.

South Africa coach Rudolf Straeuli believes he has a squad rich in youthful talent but has also backed the importance of his veterans going into Saturday’s quarter-final against New Zealand in Melbourne.

South Africa’s World Cup campaign suffered a major setback today when flanker Joe van Niekerk was ruled out of the tournament.

South Africa, inspired by fly-half Derick Hougaard, took charge of their make-or-break World Cup clash against Samoa today by cruising into a 31-3 interval lead.

South Africa have axed their goalkicking fly-half Louis Koen for Saturday’s World Cup eliminator against Samoa at Suncorp Stadium.

SPRINGBOKS coach Rudi Straeuli is privately fuming after Lawrence Dallaglio escaped punishment for punching Thinus Delport during Saturday’s World Cup showdown in Perth.

SOUTH AFRICA, whose World Cup hopes seem doomed, look certain to turn to 20-year-old Derick Hougaard at flyhalf for their remaining group matches against Georgia and Samoa.

Only a perfectionist of the calibre of Jonny Wilkinson could land a flawless seven goals from seven attempts against South Africa and then insist his kicking needed more practice.

Clive Woodward's England faced their day of destiny at Subiaco Oval as the Six Nations champions took on South Africa in a potentially explosive Pool C tussle.

ENGLAND will go into their biggest Test match since the 1999 World Cup without injured Lions Matt Dawson and Richard Hill.

AT last, the phoney war is over. To date, the World Cup has provided a series of mismatches, lacking in serious competition.

IT’S been a bit of an anti-climax. One week into Rugby World Cup 2003 and we’re still waiting for it to take off.

WHEN Jason Robinson last left the field against South Africa he would not hear a word said against the Springboks.

Springbok skipper Corne Krige will return to lead his team into the crunch Pool C encounter with England in Perth on Saturday.

Springboks skipper Corne Krige tonight insisted that discipline is a priority for South Africa as they began preparations to face fierce World Cup rivals England.

South Africa 72 Uruguay 6

South Africa 36 Uruguay 6

South Africa began their World Cup campaign against Uruguay at Subiaco Oval today without controversial skipper Corne Krige.

Diego Ormaechea has warned South Africa to expect an improved Uruguay when the countries meet in their Pool C encounter at Subiaco Oval later today.

Joost van der Westhuizen has warned South Africa to expect a “very physical game” when the Springboks launch their World Cup campaign against Uruguay tomorrow night.

ENGLAND skipper Martin Johnson has brushed off taunts from South African counterpart Corne Krige branding him one of the “dirtiest captains in world rugby”, saying his only focus was beating rivals on the pitch.

SOUTH AFRICA bad-boy Bakkies Botha has been named in the Springboks side to face Uruguay in their opening World Cup match on Saturday as skipper Corne Krige was rested.

Martin Johnson today brushed aside claims that he was one of the dirtiest captains in the sport and appealed for the World Cup to be about “rugby and nothing else”.

Springboks coach Rudolf Straeuli has played down fitness fears surrounding his World Cup captain Corne Krige.

JONNY Wilkinson will launch England's World Cup bid against Georgia next Sunday boosted by a good luck message from David Beckham.

ENGLAND boss Clive Woodward said he would be furious with any of his World Cup players if they became embroiled in media “sledging”.

Will Greenwood believes that England are much better prepared for an assault on World Cup glory than they were four years ago.

SPRINGBOKS captain Corne Krige admits he called England skipper Martin Johnson a dirty player — but denies this was designed to stir up trouble ahead of the two nations’ pool C clash.

CORNE KRIGE claimed that England’s Martin Johnson is “one of the dirtiest captains in world rugby.”

South Africa captain Corne Krige has labelled England’s Martin Johnson as “one of the dirtiest captains in world rugby”.