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A DOCTOR who was accused of being involved in the Glasgow Airport bomb plot is working in the casualty department of a British hospital, it was confirmed yesterday. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

England captain Age: 29. Club: Saracens. Position: Lock. Caps: 43. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

CREDIBILITY is on the line at Twickenham this afternoon — for England and for skipper Steve Borthwick. He needs a big match and he's not the only one. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

MARTIN Johnson has made it clear that winning is the be-all and end-all for his England team and that he's not worried if they play 'sexy' rugby or not. Well, I expect them to start his reign with a sexy win. Results are all that matter to Johnno and the result this afternoon against the Pacific Islanders is not in any doubt, as far as I'm concerned. England have so many quality players, they have had good preparation time together and they're playing at home. It would be no surprise to me if they win by 25-30 points. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

LET'S clear one thing up straight away. Danny Cipriani was not punched by Josh Lewsey because of his glamorous lifestyle, or all the fame and fortune and attention that is coming his way. It really doesn't matter whether he is going out with Kelly Brook and dining at The Ivy as long as when Danny is in a Wasps shirt, he gives his all for the club. So far, that is what he has done and the other players respect him for it. There is no way Josh would have lashed out through jealousy. Rugby players don't tend to think like that. It is a fact that fly halves get all the limelight because of the nature of their position. They score the points and get the headlines. Other players just deal with that. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ENGLAND'S disappointing results in New Zealand proved yet again that we need better coaches working with the national team. The players don't seem to be learning enough at Test level. They should be almost in awe of the work being done within the camp, but they're not. This has been an on-going issue for the last couple of years. I don't think the players are coming away from the England squad thinking: 'Yes, I've learned a new skill and improved my game.' The problem needs to be urgently addressed by Martin Johnson, the new team manager. Just look at the way Wales have benefited in such a short space of time since Shaun Edwards joined them. I would like to see, or hear about, players coming away from training with England thinking: 'Wow', rather than saying: 'I'm tired. We've done too much of this or not enough of that.' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

THERE is nobody I would rather see given the opportunity to revive England than Martin Johnson. I think he can make a success of the job if the RFU support him and leave him to do whatever it takes to get the team back on track. There will be huge pressure on Johnno, but he seems to thrive on that. Even in the tightest corner he keeps his composure and just thinks about what is needed to get the job done. People shouldn't think that he can wave a magic wand to make instant improvements, but he desperately wants England to reclaim their place at the top of the international game. Like a lot of former players, he has been frustrated by what has happened in the past four-and-a-half years. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ENGLAND will be desperate to earn a convincing win today so that they can come out of this RBS Six Nations claiming some progress has been made. But I have a horrible feeling that Ireland are going to cause them serious problems. If I had to make a prediction with a gun to my head I would want to die a patriot, so I would say Brian Ashton's team can win by a point or two. But it is going to be agonisingly close. It could even be a draw. If Ireland play out of their skin and England do likewise, defend brilliantly and win, they would deserve credit. In those circumstances even a narrow victory should go some way to lifting the cloud hanging over them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AFTER the World Cup, England promised that they would move forward into a new era, but they have made no progress at all. They were rudderless at Murrayfield and the coaches' jobs must now be on the line. Head coach Brian Ashton will be under huge pressure going into the match against Ireland at Twickenham. He and his assistants have not proved that they have what it takes to develop this England team, so they have reached make-or-break time. After the Six Nations, the next stop is New Zealand, where England are bound to struggle, so they have to deliver something next weekend. If Brian is going to save himself and the rest of the coaching staff, I think changes have to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

THIS afternoon at Murrayfield, England will be without a player who could have brought a new dimension to their game, because of a massive over-reaction by coach Brian Ashton. Danny Cipriani is guilty of nothing more than being naive. Now that he is in the public eye, he should not be going to nightclubs in the days before a game, however innocent the motives. But he is a young guy and should be given some slack. He was not drinking, was in and out of the club within 15 minutes and drove himself home, after giving a friend some match tickets. The players don't have a curfew, so Danny can't have broken any rules if there aren't any. His behaviour has been labelled 'inappropriate', but who deems it inappropriate? In Clive Woodward's time there was a book of 'dos and don'ts'. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AFTER England's poor performance against Italy, I feared that France would thrash them by 15 or 20 points, but since then I've changed my mind. I just have a hunch that Phil Vickery and his team will win. It's going to be mighty close, though. If this was a game of poker and you gave me £5 for a bet, I would go for a 'gutshot flush draw on the river!' To put it in layman's terms, my instincts tell me that England are going to snatch a two-point victory. They have such a powerful pack that there is every chance they will dominate the French up front, which would lay the platform for an upset. Having said that, if France's forwards scrummage well, England will be doing well to hold them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ITALY are gearing up for a backlash from England tomorrow and I think that's a very wise move. After last week's shock defeat against Wales I expect Brian Ashton's players to come out all guns blazing in Rome. They should win by 14 or 15 points and, in fact, I would go further than that and say there is no reason why they can't go through the rest of the RBS Six Nations undefeated. But it depends how mentally strong they are. My only worry is that if they are slightly unsure about strategy early on, they could wobble. The Italians have the firepower to put England under pressure but I don't think they are capable of scoring two or three tries so they will have to rely on goalkicking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ALL OF a sudden, today's game at Twickenham does not have the look of a mismatch. Wales have an outstanding new coaching staff, who have given their players confidence again and got their first- team selection spot on. But I still expect them to lose by 13 or 14 points. The reason is simple. Power. It's as vital as ever in international rugby and England's pack have bucketloads of it -- far too much for their opponents to handle for 80 minutes. If the Welsh can win enough ball, keep it in play, keep the game loose and enjoy the odd lucky bounce of the ball along the way, they have the chance of causing an upset. But nine times out of 10, with these two sets of players facing each other at Twickenham, you would have to say England are favourites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ON reflection, I would have to say -- reluctantly -- that the result on Saturday was a fair one. South Africa just about deserved to win but plenty of people will rightly argue England played the better rugby. Given the way they performed, Brian Ashton's team deserved to be in with a chance of winning the match in the last few minutes rather than finding themselves more than a score adrift and chasing the game. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

WHEN England played Australia, I said they could win and they did. When they faced France, I thought they would cause another upset and they managed that, too. My gut instinct this time is that Phil Vickery and the boys will beat South Africa by four points. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

WHAT a turnaround. England were almost out a few weeks ago but the win over France has convinced me their name is on the trophy. I just can't see them losing in the final. They are on the front foot. They are the favourites. Brian Ashton's team have suddenly become a tight, efficient machine. If the opposition make a mistake they know they will get punished and that puts so much fear in their minds. No side can go into a match against England now with any kind of confidence. Unless they can throw the ball around and individuals have outstanding games, they know they will be in trouble. With 10 minutes to go on Saturday night, I said on air that England would win it. I just knew by then that they would be the team to turn pressure into points. Part of the reason these players can handle such intense, high-stakes situations is because of what they go through every week with their clubs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

GET ready for a brutal battle, a fight to the finish. Prepare for a cagey, tense, nerve-shredding, heart-stopping contest that could go to the wire. I wouldn't be surprised if there is extra-time but I have a vision of Jonny Wilkinson kicking his goals to perfection. So although France are the favourites and will be harder to beat than Australia, England can surprise the world again. The fact that Brian Ashton has been able to name an unchanged team for the first time has to be a sign. The players will feel better knowing that they are next to men they won a big match with last week. That is so good for confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ANDREW SHERIDAN showed the world on Saturday just what he is capable of as a rugby player but there is a lot more to him than meets the eye. As someone who has played with him and against him, I have discovered that he is a fascinating character. His size and his haircut make him look like he should be the most aggressive man in the world, but you soon realise he isn't like that when you get into a conversation with the guy. Although he has a really dry sense of humour, he normally wouldn't say boo to a goose. But if the talk turns to something he enjoys -- anything from a TV show to an art work to the theatre -- he really opens up. He is definitely a cultured bloke. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AUSTRALIA are whingeing already and the game hasn't even started yet. The fact that they've made such a fuss about the selection of Mark Regan suggests to me that they are worried. England recalled 'Ronnie', who is known for his non-stop talking on the field, and he has somehow managed to get under the skin of the Wallabies before he's said a word. It has been so encouraging to hear them bleating about his behaviour, because it comes across as a sign of weakness in their camp. It will provide a huge motivation for England because Australia have personally slated Regan. He will absolutely love the fact that he has been singled out and, if he was thinking of staying quiet, you can bet he will be three or four times more vocal than normal now. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Either of the alternative inside centres, Olly Barkley or Toby Flood, would have been a better choice. The decision has confused me. As someone who was reinstated 21 times during my England career, I know that it normally happens for a reason and that reason is normally good form. But what has Farrell done to prove that he deserves another chance since that horrendous night against South Africa when he made a couple of glaring mistakes? He came on against a tiring Tonga side and scored an easy run-in try, which seems to have been enough evidence to convince Brian that he should pick him again. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

EVERYBODY seems to be regarding tonight's game as a potential banana skin but I simply cannot envisage an upset. There has been a real buzz among the England players this week and I wouldn't be surprised if they beat Tonga by 25 points. A lot of people have pointed to the South Sea islanders' narrow defeat against South Africa as a worrying omen but there was a 15 to 20-minute spell during that game when they were made to look like schoolboys. When the Springboks brought on their big-name replacements in the second half, for a while they just ran the Tongans ragged. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SOME aspects of England's performance on Saturday were better than they have been for a couple of years, but to have any chance in a quarter-final against Australia -- assuming we beat Tonga on Friday, of course -- there has to be an improvement in decisionmaking by on- field general Jonny Wilkinson. Especially in the early stages of the match against Samoa, Brian Ashton's men finally looked like a proper team again. At last there was a decent blend of endeavour, dynamism and power and you could see they had a game plan, which wasn't the case before. The forwards were much better this time -- mixing grunt-and-grind with touches of finesse. George Chuter provided some moments of class, nothing fancy, but just the odd little pass that opened up space. Joe Worsley tackled extremely well and Nick Easter carried the ball very effectively. All of the forwards tackled and scavenged. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

THIS is the most important Test England have played since the World Cup Final and the biggest match in the lives of a lot of the players. Beat South Africa and it will go down as one of our greatest victories. But they face a monumental task. To succeed, they must play to the peak of their powers and rely on the Boks under-performing. If England are not at 100 percent, they will struggle. If they go behind early, they could be in real trouble. When I first heard that Andy Farrell was coming into the team I thought: "There is no way on earth he can be playing at fly half". [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ENGLAND have to forget about that performance on Saturday as quickly as possible. It was a total catastrophe in terms of the way they want to play. Normally, watching England, I have a rough idea what they are trying to do, even when they are playing badly. But against the United States I can honestly say I didn't have a clue what the game plan was. No one seemed to know what the guy next to him was doing. There was no cohesion, the decision-making was terrible, the lineout was a shambles, there were far too many basic errors and the players looked tired and leaden-footed. The management should just throw the tape of that match in the bin. Then it is up to the senior players to remind the rest of the squad of the bottom line -- that they won the game 28-10 and they're still in the tournament. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]