Carling says he will stay as captain

Will Carling will stay on as England's captain, he said after the World Cup final. "Jack Rowell has said he wants me as captain," Carling said.

"When we arrive home and the dust has settled, we will talk again about the future. I want to lay the foundations for the next World Cup. This England team can become the greatest our country has ever seen. There are no bounds. I very much hope no one else apart from Dewi Morris will leave the international game because there is an exciting time ahead."

n New Zealand's first tour fixture in South Africa next year is almost certain to be played at a stadium in a black township, Edward Griffiths, chief executive of the South African Rugby Football Union, said yesterday.