SOUTH AFRICA: England Rugby squad arrives in Johannesburg as part of their summer tour

Record ID: 452590

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: England Rugby squad arrives in Johannesburg as part of their summer tour
  • Date: 17th May 2007
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, (MAY 16, 2007), (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ENGLAND PLAYERS PUSHING TROLLIES WITH LUGGAGE THROUGH THE ARRIVAL LOUNGE MORE OF THE PLAYERS CROSSING THE STREET OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT ENGLAND CAPTAIN, JASON ROBINSON, PUSHING HIS TROLLEY MORE ENGLAND PLAYERS WITH THEIR LUGGAGE JONNY WILKINSON PUSHING HIS LUGGAGE AND THEN LOADING IT ONTO A TRUCK VARIOUS OF PLAYERS SEATED INSIDE THE BUS ENGLAND UNDER 21 COACH JON CALLARD TALKING ON PHONE / SIGN READING "ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM" BUS WITH ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM DRIVING OFF
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA38EUROT3U7Y7E1OUAAUTV63L8
  • Story Text: England Rugby team arrives in Johannesburg to meet in-form Springboks as part of their summer tour. England's Rugby team arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday (May 16), for their two tests against the in-form Springboks.
    England coach Brian Ashton has been forced to form his team by scouring the Premiership for older players and some promising youngsters after being deprived of more than 30 internationals through club commitments and injuries. Bristol's hooker Mark Regan, aged 35, has come out of three years of retirement from international matches for the tour.
    Jason Robinson is captain of the squad for the tests.
    The Springboks look set to be at their strongest for years and, with two South African sides through to the final of the Super 14, the game there is on a high.
    England, then under Andy Robinson, and South Africa met twice at Twickenham last November when the Springboks, devoid of a host of leading players, won the second test 25-14 after losing the first 23-21.
    They meet again in Bloemfontein on May 26 and Pretoria on June 2 and so will know each other pretty well by the time they face off for the fifth time in less than a year in the pool stage of the World Cup in Paris in September.
    Ashton was part of Clive Woodward's coaching team in 2000 when England bounced back from a first test defeat in Pretoria to beat South Africa 27-22 in Bloemfontein.
    That victory set up their unprecedented run of success against the three southern hemisphere sides -- including seven in a row against the Springboks -- but the May 26 clash will be the first since then on South African soil.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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