Connolly is ready for Old Trafford

Rugby League

Rugby League

DAVE HADFIELD

There were more questions left hanging in the air than were answered as England and Wales named their teams for their Centenary World Cup semi- final at Old Trafford tomorrow.

As expected, England have Bobbie Goulding at scrum-half for Shaun Edwards, who is still recovering from a knee infection, with Denis Betts taking over as captain. The choice of Nick Pinkney to replace Barrie-Jon Mather in the centres was also hinted at all this week, although the decision is hard on Mather, who had a particularly good game against Australia at Wembley two weeks ago.

The England coach, Phil Larder, has left the matter of his substitutes open until today, and there is a chance that Gary Connolly will be one of them. That would complete a remarkable recovery from pneumonia by the Wigan centre, who looked certain to miss the whole tournament.

"Gary's specialist told us that he had no chance," Larder says, "but he is such a strong athlete that we always hoped he might make it."

Connolly has trained this week and got through a practice match - playing for Keighley against England - without ill effects. The temptation to have him on the bench at Old Trafford is clearly strong.

Martin Offiah retains his place on the left wing, although he came perilously close to being left out after his lacklustre performance against South Africa. The game's most prolific try-scorer looked woefully short of confidence in that match, but has attended two sprint sessions to try to regain his rhythm.

If there are a few uncertainties on the fringes of Larder's team, then the one named by his semi-final opponent, Clive Griffiths, contains more "or" than a Welsh gold mine. There are lingering doubts over John Devereux, Scott Gibbs and Allan Bateman in the three-quarter line and the possible permutations are legion. The signs, however, are that all three will be fit, which would mean Adrian Hadley dropping down to the bench.

One definite addition to the line-up at the Wembley final is Prince Edward, who has agreed to present the World Cup on 28 October.

ENGLAND (v Wales, World Cup semi-final, Old Trafford, tomorrow): Radlinski (Wigan); Robinson (Wigan), Pinkney (Keighley), Newlove (Bradford), Offiah (Wigan); Powell (Keighley), Goulding (St Helens); Harrison (Halifax), Jackson (Sheffield), Platt (Auckland), Betts (Auckland, capt), Clarke (Sydney City), Farrell (Wigan). Substitutes: to be named.

WALES squad: Harris (Warrington), Hadley (Widnes), Devereux (Widnes), Gibbs (St Helens), Bateman (Cronulla), Sullivan (St Helens), Ford (Salford), Griffiths (St Helens), Davies (Warrington, capt), Ellis (North Queensland), Atcheson (Oldham), Skerrett (Wigan), Hall (Wigan), Young (Salford), Moriarty (Halifax), Quinnell (Wigan), Eyres (Leeds), Cunningham (St Helens), Phillips (Workington), Jones (Warrington).

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