Clive lays down law

Clive Woodward today revealed that Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Back are on trial for their World Cup futures when England face Samoa here in Melbourne on Sunday.

Despite both players boasting more than 60 England caps, head coach Woodward is ready to break-up the most experienced back row in world rugby if the performance level fails to impress against Samao under the Telstra Stadium roof.

The move is designed to bring the best out of Back and Dallaglio who have become the centre of a "cheating" storm at the World Cup with both players attracting widespread criticism for their play at the breakdown. Opposition coaches and players have tried to portray both men as ball-killers, intent on slowing down possession illegally.

Now, Woodward has decided to lay down his own challenge and has included the injured Richard Hill in a general warning to one of the key elements in his Grand Slam winning outfit.

Woodward has drafted London Wasps Joe Worsley into the back row for the injured Hill against Samoa after giving Leicester's Lewis Moody a run against South Africa. He said today: "I have left those players out before and I will leave them out in this World Cup if I don't think that they are playing as well as the other guys.

"It is a huge opportunity for Joe Worsley. This is one of the few times that he has started for England and he is an outstanding player. I am making sure that Dallaglio, Hill and Back fully understand that with Moody and Worsley around they have to be at their best." Besides the back row, Woodward has also indicated that Mike Catt, who only came into the squad as a late replacement for Alex King, has suddenly become a key man. He will be on the replacements bench against Samoa and is guaranteed a start against Uruguay in the final pool match a week later.