SIX NATIONS: Austin Healey yesterday accepted the biggest challenge of his rugby career in typically cavalier fashion when he stepped into the boots of Jason Robinson and pledged to be "just as exciting". The Leicester star will play full back for England against Wales in Saturday's Six Nations clash at Twickenham in place of the injured Robinson.
For Healey, it marks something of a full-house - following appearances in every other position in the back line, albeit for a matter of minutes at inside centre and outside centre against South Africa and Italy respectively. As it is Healey has no more than 10 club games at full back to his name throughout his career. Healey, however, is in confident mood.
"It's not that much different nowadays," said Healey, who last played full back for Leicester two weeks ago against Northampton. "Ten years ago it would have been a big ask. But we've got two huge, fast wingers in the back three and we're more of a unit these days than set positions."
France head to Murrayfield to take on Scotland as the only unbeaten team in the tournament. They are bidding to win a grand slam for the first time since 1998. Coach Bernard Laporte made two changes yesterday from the side which beat England.
Former captain Fabien Pelous, who has not started a game since last year's championship, replaces Stade Francais lock David Auradou. Narbonne prop Jean-Baptiste Poux will start too, taking over from Pieter De Villiers who has a sore ankle.
Australia took a confident stride towards clinching a deal to stage next year's World Cup on its own after a meeting with international officials yesterday.
The Australian Rugby Union, which had originally been a joint host with New Zealand before world rugby chiefs withdrew the invitation to the Kiwis, presented a new plan to the World Cup board.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) said in a statement that a final decision concerning the staging of the event would be ratified at a meeting of the IRB's council in Dublin on April 12th.
ENGLAND: A Healey; D Luger, W Greenwood, M Tindall, B Cohen; J Wilkinson, K Bracken; R Hill, N Back (capt), L Moody, B Kay, D Grewcock, J White, S Thompson, G Rowntree. Replacements: D West, J Leonard, M Corry, J Worsley, M Dawson, C Hodgson, T Stimpson.
FRANCE: N Brusque; A Rougerie, T Marsh, D Traille, D Bory; G Merceron, F Galthie (capt); I Harinordoquy, O Magne, S Betsen, O Brouzet, F Pelous, J-B Poux, R Ibanez, J-J Crenca. Replacements: O Azam, S Marconnet, T Privat, R Martin, P Mignoni, F Gelez, J Marlu.
