Clive's Post Match views - Australia v England

England Worlds No1
By Ouseburn 23/6/03
June 23 2003

Press release courtesy of Zurich & Reporter Andrew Titheridge:- Clive Woodward's match thoughts and preparation for the World Cup in October.

                                ZURICH RUGBY:
            Clive Woodward Transcript - which can also be found on
                          www.zurichpremiership.com

 Clive Woodward - Sunday 22nd June, Melbourne

 Andrew Titheridge: So, 12 hours after the game and a few sore heads
 later, when you look at that win, it must be one of the greatest
 ever England victories?

 CW: I don’t know about that - it was just important for us to win,
 we have got a momentum going now. This is World Cup year and we can
 now start talking about the World Cup. These games have not been
 preparing for the World Cup, but coming down here and wining Test
 matches, and beating Australia and All Blacks - two of the best
 sides in the world - and keeping the momentum going. We know now that
 when the players meet back at the end of July, when we start
 preparing for the World Cup, there will be a tremendous buzz. The
 anticipation already is fantastic but I think that this will help
 us for the World Cup tremendously, so we are just looking forward
 to that now. It’s just been a great trip, and for everyone involved
 to- players, coaches and management - it has just been a great team
 effort and we can now start looking forward to the World Cup.

 AT: In these matches before the World Cup, one against Wales and
 two against France, they won't be full-on test matches. You will
 use those games to try new players?

 CW: They will be full-on Test matches. I have got in my mind now,
14 or 15 players for the World Cup, but we have to choose between
one or two players that we have not decided, certainly the first
two games. The away game in Wales and the away game in France - the
one in Marseille - won’t be anything like the team that we saw play
last night. Those three games are 100 percent in terms of our
preparation for the World Cup, they will be full-on test matches.
You want them to be full-on Test matches, otherwise you won't learn
anything. But we are just looking forward to them, and you know
that this group and there will be others joining us, from the guys
in Canada and there will be five or six injured players who will be
back as well, so competition for those thirty places will be
immense, and it is important that I get those decisions absolutely
spot on.

AT: You are on your way back home via Perth, are you inspecting the
pitches?

CW: We would rather get on a plane and go home today, and for
myself, I have been away a long time and I want to see my wife and
kids. But, you know, our World Cup starts in Perth - we have got 17
days in Perth and a huge game against South Africa. So we have got
to get it right and it does make a huge difference staying in the
hotel and going out to the training pitches. It's tough for the
players, it's tough for all of us, but it is something that when I
get back on Friday, I’ll say, "Well done, we had to do that - it is
all part of the preparation." It will be a tough few days, seeing
the cricket and the sunshine and Wimbledon starting, and I can’t
wait to get home. It's been a great trip but we are looking forward
to getting back.

AT: I think that no-one deserves a holiday than more than you
Clive. It has been great for all of us who have been involved with
England these past couple of weeks so enjoy your summer.

CW: Thank you very much. It’s been a huge team effort and I am very
lucky to be heading this group of players and a brilliant group of
coaches. I cannot speak highly enough of Martin Johnson and Andy
Robinson. There has just been an outstanding group behind the
scenes. The success we are getting doesn’t come through luck, it
comes through a lot of hard work and there are a lot of excellent
people involved with this team.