Woodward wants unchanged England to ‘front up’

ENGLAND boss Clive Woodward has named an unchanged team for the winner-takes-all Grand Slam showdown with Ireland, and told his players: “We’ve got to front up.”

For the fourth time in five seasons, England are one victory away from achieving a championship clean sweep and European rugby's biggest prize.

It is the first time in eight games this season that Woodward has not made at least one change to his team.

There are two alterations on the bench, with 35 year-old Leicester hooker Dorian West chosen above Mark Regan, and scrum-half Kyran Bracken preferred to Andy Gomarsall.

"It is not the time to experiment in a one-off game we want to win one that we must win," said Woodward said. "It's time to have some continuity after the last game. We will talk to individual players about the things we can improve.

"It's a huge one-off game there is no hiding from that. It is an ideal situation, and we have got to 'front up' on Sunday.

"The important thing is not to over-train, or to do too much. That's the temptation. Freshness is the key to Sunday, especially on the back of a big game."

Woodward admitted that selecting his team and replacements was "straightforward" after he had viewed video evidence of England's resounding Calcutta Cup triumph. "I looked closely but, after watching the replays, I thought we had played particularly well. We seem to have stepped up a gear from the first few games.

"With big back-to-back games, this is my strongest team.

"There is nothing much that we will change. We'll tinker with the game-plan based on the Irish team and the weather, but preparation will be very similar to any other international."

Woodward intends to have completed the build-up by the time he and his players arrive in Ireland tomorrow.

The team will visit Lansdowne Road for a light run-out on Saturday morning, but Woodward added: "By the time we leave for Dublin, everything has got to be done.

"We will go to Lansdowne Road on Saturday. You always get about an hour and a half, and it's vital for Jonny Wilkinson and Paul Grayson to practise goal-kicking.

"It's a very different ground to Twickenham, but that is the beauty of playing international rugby and adapting to the conditions.

"This is an extremely tough bunch of players mentally, and the bottom line is that it's the same pitch wherever you are."

Meanwhile, Young Munster second row Paul O'Connell, who has been dogged by injury over the past 12 months, is poised for a dramatic return to the Irish 22 for Sunday's Grand Slam encounter.

O'Connell is not included in the Ireland A squad for Friday night's (7pm) game against the English whereas Donnacha O'Callaghan, who made such a favourable impression when he came in against Wales as a second-row replacement, is chosen to partner Jeremy Davidson in the second-row in that match.

Instead, O'Connell has remained with the senior side. He has played only a club match for Young Munster and a Heineken Cup trial for Munster against Scottish Borders since being ruled out of action by a wrist injury suffered on January 3.

Coach Eddie O'Sullivan still has Malcolm O'Kelly, Gary Longwell and Leo Cullen from which to select his "engine room", but O'Connell is now clearly there with a shout.

"Shane Horgan, Girvan Dempsey, Gary Longwell, Victor Costello and Paul O'Connell, all of whom missed the Welsh game, came through yesterday's session quite well," reported Irish manager Brian O'Brien last night.

"We didn't push them very hard, it's still a long time between now and Sunday."

Gavin Duffy, the young Galwegians utility player, and Des Dillon, the promising UCD number eight , win their first A caps while there is a recall to the side for Tyrone Howe, Barry Everitt, Brian O'Meara and Emmett Byrne.

Among those not considered because of injury were the Munster pair Jeremy Staunton (groin) and Rob Henderson (ankle). Both missed the game against Scottish Borders last week and must now be a worry for coach Alan Gaffney in the build-up to the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leicester on April 13.