Luger eyes Springbok revenge

'In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have played in that match against South Africa. The medical people cleared me to play but it cost me dearly. Hopefully, I won't make that mistake again.'

Luger's strike rate, 19 tries in 27 Tests, would almost certainly have been still more impressive had various rotten breaks not cost him the best part of 20 caps - going back to his first knee reconstruction five years ago. One month on from a similar operation on the other knee, he is almost up and running.

'I'm ahead of schedule so far,' he said. 'I'm doing upper body stuff, walking and cycling. I'll be jogging in two months and running in three. I'm aiming to be back by Christmas and to be fitter and fresher than ever for the World Cup.'

The identity of England's three other pool opponents has yet to materialise. Fiji, the United States and Romania will expect to join them after a summer's qualifying series. While the blanks have still to be filled, there is one significant difference to the schedule, as opposed to the one leaked several months ago.

The semi-finals have been changed in a way which means Australia and New Zealand are scheduled to meet in the last four, leaving the other semi open to France and/or England.

The 'draw', as presented in Sydney yesterday for the long-delayed launch, was nothing of the kind, but a placing of the 20 finalists based on a seeding system which seems to be known only to the organ-isers. The top four seeds are based not on current form but on the finishing order at the last tournament, with Wales given fifth seeding because, unlike the other losing quarter-finalists in 1999, they won their pool.

If anyone is entitled to feel short-changed it is Argentina, who reached the last eight three years ago but find themselves in the same pool as Australia and Ireland.

Scotland are in a less demanding pool headed by France, with Samoa, Japan and Tonga likely to emerge from the complex qualifying competitions over the next four months.

Wales will need to improve to eliminate any danger of Canada or Italy denying them second place behind the All Blacks.

Two more England players, Kyran Bracken and Will Greenwood, are out of Sunday's friendly against the Barbarians at Twickenham. Gloucester scrum half Andy Gomarsall has been called up alongside uncapped Saracens Ben Johnston and Kevin Sorrell.

Sale wing Jason Robinson won the Zurich Premiership Player of the Year award in London last night. Leicester flanker Lewis Moody was named Young Player of the Year.