Woodward laments backward step

Clive Woodward has described the demise of Six Nations A international rugby as a “backward step”.

England will play two A team fixtures this season – away against Italy and France – but there is no Six Nations tournament for the shadow senior sides to compete in.

Wales shelved their A squad some time ago because of financial reasons, and Woodward believes that something should be done to rectify the overall situation.

“We will have two A team fixtures against Italy and France this season, but we are bitterly disappointed that we have not got a full A team programme,” he said.

“It is a backward step for the Six Nations to bin the A team programme, and I can’t believe the money is not there for teams to play in it.”

Without an A championship, Woodward will have little opportunity to run the rule over players like 21-year-old prop Matt Stevens or Sale Sharks hooker Andy Titterrell, who both started for an England XV that defeated the New Zealand Barbarians in Saturday’s World Cup celebration match.

The loss of such a competition will not help long-term planning, especially with Woodward now keen to look ahead and draw a line under the spectacular World Cup triumph.

And if England retain the Webb Ellis Trophy in 2007, there will not be a repeat of the Zurich World Champions Challenge – not if Woodward has anything to do with it.

The build-up was marred by criticism of the fixture’s scheduling by Premiership club owners and coaches, while player withdrawals and selection restrictions placed on Woodward culminated in England fielding just four of their World Cup final starting XV.

“It was a difficult week, and we have learned a lot, but we won’t do it again,” said Woodward.

“We are not geared towards playing friendly games, and this won’t happen again while I am in charge.”

Woodward though, who now heads for a skiing holiday in Switzerland, at least gained some positives from the game, notably the performances of Stevens and Wasps centre Stuart Abbott.

Abbott was easily England’s most creative player, while Bath tighthead Stevens confirmed rich potential on his first taste of the rugby high life.

“We know the qualities Matt Stevens has. He ran with the ball well, and he scrummaged well, and he will be very pleased with his game. It was a big bonus, the way he came off,” said England forwards coach Andy Robinson.

With Julian White set to undergo knee surgery today, and Phil Vickery out with a rib injury, Stevens’ emergence could prove the most significant result of Saturday’s non-cap invitation match.

Ben Cohen (two), his fellow wing James Simpson-Daniel, fly-half Paul Grayson, substitute Mike Tindall and Stevens all scored tries in a 42-17 Twickenham victory, while Grayson added 12 points from the boot.

The England XV trailed by seven points early on, but even without the likes of World Cup heroes like Jonny Wilkinson, Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Back, they still held too many trump cards.

Man-of-the-match Cohen scored a try in each half as the game defied its non-cap status to deliver an entertaining, fully-committed encounter.

The only sour note came when Barbarians lock Troy Flavell broke England skipper Richard Hill’s nose with a swinging right arm, an act of reckless indiscipline for which he has been cited.

Flavell served a 12-week ban earlier this year for stamping on Waikato Chiefs hooker Greg Smith’s head during a Super 12 game. Flavell, who was in Auckland Blues colours, saw his World Cup ambitions disappear as a result.

There were more celebrations after the game when England’s World Cup squad embarked on a lap of honour around Twickenham, parading the Webb Ellis Trophy. It was a fitting end to an unforgettable four weeks.