Rugby Union: England delay naming coach

England's Test players will have to wait until next week to find out who their World Cup manager and coach will be.

The planned meeting today between the National Playing Committee and the new Rugby Football Union Management Board will go ahead, but no anouncement will be made.

Untangling contractual obligations for the candidates and establishing conditions for the international manager and coaches has clearly proved impossible in just over a week since Ian McGeechan rejected the job and Rowell then resigned.

The RFU hope their negotiations produce a management team by next week. The deadline is 12 September, with an England squad session due on 17 September. A group of selectors must be in place by then.

Kevin Bowring, the coach of Wales, yesterday described England as "arrogant" and blamed them for his side's early start to the international season this weekend. Wales take on Romania at The Racecourse in Wrexham tomorow, which Bowring claims is far too early in the season for his players.

"We should have had all the international matches on the same dates, but England would not do it," he said. "Instead, they quite arrogantly just went ahead and booked a whole block of international fixtures without consulting the other home nations."

The New Zealand rflanker Michael Jones has ruled out a return to action this year, including the tour of Britain. Jones ruptured the patella tendon in his left knee in the 14 June Test against Fiji at Albany.

Noel Henderson, a former cpatian of Ireland and Lion, has died, aged 69, after a short illness. Henderson made his debut for Ireland against Scotland in the Triple Crown winning year of 1949 and went on to win 40 international caps.