Keith Wood's chances of being fit enough to lead Ireland out in the first of the autumn internationals against Australia at Lansdowne Road on November 9th have been rated as 50-50 after the Irish captain saw a specialist yesterday regarding the injured disc in his neck.

Of some encouragement to player and Irish management alike, Wood has at least been told that he can increase his training after his enforced rest for the last month since aggravating the problem on the long-haul return from Krasnoyarsk in Siberia following Ireland's win over Russia in a World Cup qualifier.

Free travel is being offered to all clubs and schools for two of Ireland's autumn Tests at Lansdowne Road - November 17th v Fiji and November 23rd v Argentina. To avail of the offer contact your local branch.

Meanwhile, France and England will have to wait until April 2003 before they know who has won the right to host the 2007 World Cup finals, it was announced yesterday.

The decision had been slated for November 14th, but the directors of the Rugby World Cup decided they would need more clarifications from the two candidates.

England's attempt at hosting a two-tiered World Cup - which would avoid mismatches - was not entirely rejected by the IRB, though it added it did not meet with the requirements laid down by the prospectus for hosting the tournament.

"They were not considered by the RWC," the statement read.

"However, their propositions will be examined by the IRB Council in November," it added.

The decision will rest on 21 votes, eight countries (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) having two apiece while Canada, Argentina, Japan, Italy and the Amateur Rugby Federation have a vote each.

However, it is the Welsh who may hold the decisive hand in the vote. England and France's objectives have pledged to stage all the matches in one country unlike the 1999 edition which was spread over five countries, but the Welsh are claiming cash from the English and matches from the French.

The WRFU said they will demand 20 per cent of the net gate receipts from the RFU and a fifth of the matches from the French because they struck a deal before the 1999 World Cup in which the Welsh handed over a fifth of their receipts in return for those countries hosting a pool.