Martin Johnson has dropped a strong hint at the shape of the England midfield to play South Africa on Saturday and went a long way to listing his replacements’ bench as well.
The England manager had denied attempting to play “mind games” with the world champions after delaying naming his side until Thursday. However, when he listed 11 players being returned to their clubs, including the back-row James Haskell, the lock Dave Attwood and Delon Armitage, it became clear that Simon Shaw would be on the bench along with two of last Saturday’s starters against Samoa, the back Matt Banahan and the flanker Hendre Fourie.
With Johnson saying that for once he has no injury problems, Mike Tindall is likely to partner Shontayne Hape in midfield, as he did against Australia 10 days ago.
As selection was formally delayed for two days, Johnson spent the day explaining the complexities of the drug-testing programme affecting rugby and came close to expressing sympathy for the Springboks, who are currently squirming under the attentions of the testers after two of their players returned positives.
Last week the world champions sent home the wing Bjorn Basson and the prop Chiliboy Ralepelle after both had shown traces of the prohibited stimulant methylhexaneamine. On Saturday, after losing to Scotland, another six Springboks were tested while only two Scots – the usual number – were asked for samples. Johnson said that, given the levels of testing, he was surprised there had not been more positives.
“There’s a lot of drug-testing going on. We had them in last week,” he said, before explaining the frequency with which a Test player can expect the testers to call. “They can get tested in their allotted hour – during training at a place notified in advance by the player – they can get tested randomly or after Test matches … I don’t know whether people understand what our guys go through.
“We haven’t changed anything about what we do because we are careful anyway. You have to be very careful. Tiny amounts of substance can get detected nowadays and suddenly you fail a drug test. It is very easy for that to happen. Even when I was playing, way back in the distant past, there was fear of cross-contamination. It is amazing there isn’t more.”
The RFU recently passed on an International Rugby Board warning to member clubs about methylhexaneamine, advising players to be “extra vigilant when using dietary or nutritional supplements”.
The England squad – like every team ranked in the IRB’s top 20 – are subject to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s player whereabouts scheme. “Our guys have to be where they say they’ll be for an hour a day for the drugs testers,” said Johnson.
England possible: B Foden; C Ashton (both Northampton), M Tindall (Gloucester), S Hape (Bath), M Cueto (Sale); T Flood, B Youngs (both Leicester); A Sheridan (Sale), D Hartley (Northampton), D Cole (Leicester), C Lawes (Northampton), T Palmer (Stade Français), T Croft (Leicester), L Moody (Bath, capt), N Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: S Thompson (Leeds), D Wilson (Bath), S Shaw (Wasps), H Fourie (Leeds), D Care (Harlequins), C Hodgson (Sale), M Banahan (Bath).