Botham guaranteed tour place by Woodward
April 7, 2000

Liam Botham, the son of former England cricket all-rounder Ian, will be in the English rugby union touring party to play two tests against South Africa in June, England coach Clive Woodward said on Thursday.

Woodward will name a 36-strong squad in two or three weeks but confirmed that winger Botham, who has already played for England A but has yet to win a full cap, would be on the trip.

Woodward also said he had only one man on his list for the job of forward coach now that John Mitchell had returned to New Zealand. He said he expected the man he had in mind to succeed him as national coach after the World Cup in 2003.

Woodward's own position is expected be confirmed next week when he has contractual talks with Francis Baron, chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, and Fran Cotton, chairman ofClub England.

Woodward said of the next forward coach, "I would like him to come on board as soon as possible. He should have the benefit of doing the job for two or three years and then step into the breach."

Looking back on the Six Nations' championship which England won despite losing the final game against Scotland last Sunday, Woodward said he rated the performance as "seven or eight out of 10."

He said, "The scrum and line out did not function against Scotland, we did not get the basics right. We have got to be ready for what they will throw at us in South Africa."

England play the Springboks in tests on June 17 and 24.

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