England call for legality check on body armour

If South Africa register a first win over England in six attempts at Twickenham this afternoon, it will not be as a result of division in the red rose ranks. Andy Robinson, the new coach of the reigning world champions, has never been anything other than fiercely supportive of his charges, but he took player protection to unprecedented levels yesterday by openly backing his namesake Jason, the temporary captain, in his public spat with sections of the media.

If South Africa register a first win over England in six attempts at Twickenham this afternoon, it will not be as a result of division in the red rose ranks. Andy Robinson, the new coach of the reigning world champions, has never been anything other than fiercely supportive of his charges, but he took player protection to unprecedented levels yesterday by openly backing his namesake Jason, the temporary captain, in his public spat with sections of the media.

The coach probably felt he had enough on his plate with the Springboks, who will conduct the first searching examination of the England team since the departure of Sir Clive Woodward at the start of the season. But that did not prevent him standing squarely behind the Sale full-back's refusal to attend a scheduled press conference on Wednesday. The captain was upset by what he considered unwarranted intrusion into his private life by a quartet of national newspapers, and opted for a vow of silence in protest.

Such incidents have caused a serious stink in the past, not least in 1991 when Will Carling's team buttoned their collective lip during a row over payments for commercial activities. But the coach could not have cared less yesterday.

"I agree with Jason's stance," said the former Bath flanker on the eve of the most important match of his back-room career. "He is a man of principle. He thought through the situation before deciding that the intrusions had become a distraction. The decision is down to the person who finds himself in the position, so I back him completely."

As ever with a fixture of this magnitude, controversies have come thick and fast. The political row over Springbok selection policy - the apparent dropping of the black wing Breyton Paulse, followed by his abrupt return after ructions back in South Africa - had barely subsided yesterday when it emerged that England were concerned over the type of body armour worn by the tourists. Suggestions that the Boks wore training-field armour, instead of lighter match-day equipment, against Ireland last weekend caused great alarm in the England camp.

"We want a level playing field," Andy Robinson said, confirming that he would raise the subject with the referee, Alain Rolland, before kick-off. "This is the first I've heard of it, but these little edges can make a difference. There are rules and regulations covering this area, so provided the referee is happy with the clothing the Springboks choose to wear, then we'll be happy too."

Robinson is hoping that the Leicester tight-head prop, Julian White, emerges from today's game in one piece. White's principal rival, the Gloucester front-rower Phil Vickery, has been diagnosed as suffering from a fractured bone near his eye socket and will not play again this side of Christmas. As Matt Stevens, the young Bath prop, is also struggling for fitness, any injury to White would leave England in considerable strife ahead of next week's Test against Australia.

"I'm shocked by the news," the coach said, before confirming that his long-term captain, the Newcastle outside-half Jonny Wilkinson, would definitely miss the Wallaby game. "I was on the training field when the doctor told me about Phil, and I'm bitterly disappointed for him. Player welfare is the most important issue of all in my opinion, and if you look at the frightening numbers of injuries up and down the country, the problem is something all of us must address."