LONDON, 18 December 2003 — England scrumhalf Matt Dawson is set to play in his first match since last month’s World Cup final win over Australia after being selected in the Northampton side to play Leicester in Saturday’s Premiership match.
Meanwhile his fellow World Cup winners and Northampton teammates Ben Cohen and Paul Grayson will be playing for England in Saturday’s friendly match against the New Zealand Barbarians at Twickenham — a match Northampton’s World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson pulled out yesterday with an ankle injury.
“I have been in a few East Midlands battles but came off after only a few minutes the last time I played against Leicester,” Dawson said. “I expect they will target me again, but I am used to that after the past two or three months.”
Wales Begin Search
for a New Coach
In Cardiff, Wales started advertising yesterday for a new coach to succeed Steve Hansen when the New Zealander’s contract expires next year.
Hansen, promoted from assistant coach after succeeding compatriot Graham Henry in 2002, has repeatedly made it clear he would not be seeking a renewal of his contract which ends after the 2004 Six Nations.
A five-man Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) panel consisting of chairman David Pickering, chief executive David Moffett, group general manager Steve Lewis, game policy committee chairman David Rees and director of rugby Terry Cobner, will oversee the appointment process which was formally initiated yesterday with an advert on the WRU’s website.
