Rugby Union: RFU delegation to examine rucking

THWARTED thus far in their effort to reach a common definition of 'rucking' after the incident during the South- West v New Zealand game in which studs left Phil de Glanville needing 15 stitches around his eye, a Rugby Football Union delegation is ready to fly to Scotland at a moment's notice to thrash out the problem, writes Steve Bale.

Despite his ugly injury, de Glanville was in the England squad named yesterday - a reminder to Ian Beer, the RFU president, that he had tried but failed to arrange a meeting with the tour management last Saturday.

'The New Zealanders couldn't find the time in their busy schedule,' Beer said at Twickenham yesterday. 'We have now invited the management to give us dates and times when they will be available, and we will meet them wherever that may be.'

The president would be accompanied by Peter Brook, an RFU representative on the International Board, Geoff Cooke and Jack Rowell, managers of the England and England A teams, and the RFU technical director, Don Rutherford. 'I believe there has either got to be a change in the coaching to remove such dangerous play, or we have to get the referees to agree a policy that will prevent it, or there has to be a change in the laws, or compulsory use of rubber studs,' Beer said.

Lee Stensness, the All Blacks inside-centre, will return after a fortnight's absence with a knee injury when New Zealand play South of Scotland at Gala tomorrow. The All Blacks have a distinct second-string look about them.

The RFU has rearranged the postponed Divisional Championship decider between London and the South-West for Twickenham on 3 January, the New Year Bank Holiday.

NEW ZEALAND (v South of Scotland, Gala, tomorrow): S Howarth; E Clarke (Auckland), M Berry (Wellington), L Stensness (Auckland), E Rush (North Harbour); S Bachop (Otago), J Preston (Wellington); M Ellis (Taranaki), N Hewitt (Hawke's Bay), G Purvis, S Gordon (Waikato), R Fromont (Auckland), B Larsen (North Harbour), J Mitchell (Waikato), Z Brooke (Auckland, capt). Replacements: V Tuigamala (Auckland), M Ellis, S Forster (Otago), L Barry (North Harbour), C Dowd, S Fitzpatrick (Auckland).