KEY POINTS:
Australia today accused champions England of playing dirty ahead of their rugby World Cup quarterfinal.
Two days before the teams clash in Marseille in a potentially explosive re-run of the 2003 final, Wallaby coach John Connolly said the selection by England of feisty hooker Mark Regan suggested a plan to unsettle the Australians.
"England picking Regan at hooker delivers an intent," Connolly told a news conference.
"We've spoken to (International Rugby Board referees' manager) Paddy O'Brien to make sure he (Regan) behaves himself ... just to make sure the game's fair and clean, as opposed to the other side of it."
A few hours earlier, Australia, who lost 20-17 to England in the final four years ago in Sydney, had named their team which featured centre and captain Stirling Mortlock, fit again after missing the team's last two pool games because of a partially dislocated shoulder.
Drew Mitchell, the tournament's leading tryscorer with seven, drops back to the reserves, leaving his place on the left wing to Adam Ashley-Cooper, while first five-eighth Stephen Larkham remains unavailable and will be replaced by Berrick Barnes.
The prospect of marking Jonny Wilkinson holds no fear for the promising Barnes, who is just 21 but is handling his instant celebrity with plenty of calm.
"I don't read the papers, no offence guys, but that's the key to it," Barnes told the English media scrum when asked how he was dealing with his sudden rise to fame.
"One thing you learn about this World Cup is that at the quarterfinals things start getting pretty nitty-gritty."
England lost centre Andy Farrell to a calf injury, a day after recalling the powerful former rugby league man to the starting lineup for Saturday's match (2am Sunday NZT).
"It's not an ideal scenario for the team and it's tough for Andy but it illustrates the need for strength in depth at this World Cup," Wilkinson said of the misfortune of his midfield partner, whose replacement will be announced on Friday.
New Zealand, warming up for their quarterfinal against France in Cardiff on Saturday (8am Sunday NZt), were reassured after first five-eighths Daniel Carter tested his injured calf muscle in a full training session.
"The calf is good. We have a couple of runs before Saturday to make it right and the first one of those comes this afternoon," Carter told reporters before the All Blacks' penultimate practice.
There was good news also for Argentina, Felipe Contepomi having recovered from a mild bout of flu in time to face Scotland on Sunday in Paris (8am Monday NZt).
Contepomi, second highest scorer in the tournament with 53 points in four pool matches, was confined to bed on Wednesday, missing the Pumas' training session.
Argentina, said Scotland captain Jason White, were the favourites to advance from that quarter-final. "We'll be the underdogs and we're happier in that position," the flanker told reporters.
- REUTERS
