Truce in Australia's Super League dispute

Rugby League

DAVE HADFIELD

The game's International Board got through its business yesterday without the expected expulsion of Australia - the only governing body not signed up to Super League. The board ended its meeting in London by lunchtime, without any of the anticipated blood on the carpets.

"The board is staying as it is," Tom Bellew, one of Australia's delegates, said. "We are hoping that the court case in Australia at the moment might resolve something and, rather than break it up now, we should keep the board in place until we see what happens."

The Super League is disputing the loyalty agreements with the ARL signed by clubs that now want to break away. The outcome of that case will decide whether the Super League can start in any meaningful way in Australia next season.

The decision to hold fire on reorganising the game's international administration is thoroughly sensible and reflects the way that the top men in the game in Britain and Australia, Maurice Lindsay and Ken Arthurson, have declared a truce, at least for the duration of the World Cup.

The only note of dissension yesterday came from Fiji, who complained that the ARL have set up a competition there in opposition to the original body, which has defected to the Super League.

At a tournament that is not now in any danger of being overshadowed by off-field politicking, England have made six changes for their game against Fiji at Wigan tomorrow.

The Keighley centre, Nick Pinkney, the stand-off Tony Smith from Castleford, and the St Helen's scrum half, Bobbie Goulding - as he now insists on being spelled - all come into the backs. Castleford's Dean Sampson and Sheffield's Paul Broadbent will be the props, with Mick Cassidy of Wigan getting his first game in the second row.

Shaun Edwards, England's captain in the win over Australia at Wembley on Saturday, missed training with a stomach bug but is on the bench tomorrow. Paul Harragon, who cracked a cheek-bone at Wembley, will still lead Australia in tonight's match against South Africa at Gateshead. David Gillespie hopes to be fit in time for the semi-finals, despite a torn hamstring. South Africa will have three props in their front row tomorrow, with coach Tony Fisher explaining: "I want plenty of weight up front."

In tonight's other match, Tonga, unhappy about having to play again 48 hours after their classic 25-24 defeat by New Zealand, meet Papua New Guinea at Hull. Tonga's forward Talite Lia'ava is out of the match with a rib injury and is replaced on the bench by the Leigh forward, Tau Liku.

Tonga's assistant coach, Frank Barrow, also believes that, on top of refereeing decisions that went against them in the New Zealand match, the fixtures in the World Cup are geared to the big nations.

AUSTRALIA (v South Africa, Gateshead, today): O'Davis (Newcastle); Dallas (Sydney Bulldogs), McGregor (Illawarra), D Moore (Manly), J Hopoate (Manly); M Johns (Newcastle), A Johns (Newcastle); Harragon (Newcastle, capt), Raper (Cronulla), Muir (Newcastle), B Moore (North Sydney), Kosef (Manly), Smith (Sydney Bulldogs). Substitutes: Carroll (Manly), Bartrim (St George), Dymock (Sydney Bulldogs), Brasher (Sydney Tigers).

SOUTH AFRICA: Van Wyk (Eastern Reds); Coombe (Durban), Ballot (Bay of Plenty), Boshoff (Dewsbury), Johnson (Workington); Alkema (Barea), Van Deventer (Dewsbury); Watts (Dewsbury), Van Niekerk (Eastern Reds), Booysen (Dewsbury, capt), Williams (Durban), Fourie (Dewsbury), Cloete (Barea).

ENGLAND (v Fiji, Wigan, tomorrow): Radlinski (Wigan); Robinson (Wigan), Pinkney (Keighley), Newlove (Bradford), Bentley (Halifax); Smith (Castleford), Goulding (St Helens); Broadbent (Sheffield), Jackson (Newcastle Knights), D Sampson (Castleford), Betts (Auckland Warriors, capt), Cassidy (Wigan), Farrell (Wigan). Substitutes: Cook (Leeds), Edwards (Wigan), Haughton (Wigan), McCurrie (Widnes).