Notebook

Campese talks once more

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Posted: Friday October 22, 1999 06:47 PM

David Campese comments will give the Welsh team all the motivation they need to pull off an upset against Australia. Laurence Griffiths/Allsport

LONDON (AP) -- Outspoken former Wallaby winger David Campese has diluted his scathing attacks on Australia's style of play. But he's now aimed his verbal attack at the Welsh, saying they were unfit and had no chance of beating Australia.

Campese, the most prolific try scorer in international rugby, has a reputation for upsetting the establishment and his comments in Friday's Welsh Daily Mirror newspaper are certain to incite the World Cup hosts in the leadup to Saturday's Australia vs. Wales quarterfinal.

"Wales have no chance and I don't say that as an arrogant, bigheaded Australian," he was quoted saying. "Wales are vulnerable in key areas and it's the strength and speed of the Australian outside backs that will undo them."

And he predicted the Wallabies could win by 30 points.

Campese also said Neil Jenkins, who overhauled Campese's former international teammate Michael Lynagh to become the highest point scorer in rugby history, has let his game "come undone". No. 8 forward Scott Quinnell, he said, was "willing but his handling was terrible."

"The Welsh also don't look that fit," he said. "They don't have that lean athletic appearance of the Wallabies."

Australian coach Rod Macqueen distanced himself from Campese's remarks.

"David doesn't speak on behalf of all Australians and he certainly doesn't speak on behalf of the Wallabies," he said.

Even the Welsh Mirror attempted to backtrack after printing Campese's comments under the backpage headline: "I hope Wales can hum as well as sing ... because there are no words to the Death March."

In a brief editorial, the Mirror said Campese had "probably done his own country a disservice with this outburst."

It quoted Wallaby hooker Phil Kearns saying: "Campo's motormouth always started up before his brain was in gear."

Wilko has to wait

Wilkinson discovered that he had been chosen at random for a post-match drug test and had problems producing a sample of urine.

"I wasn't dazed but stayed down for the count mainly because I had taken a bang on my neck," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"To rub salt in the wound, I was called in for random drug testing after the game on Wednesday and spent 40 minutes drinking water until nature took its course."

Wilkinson declared himself fit for the quarterfinal against defending South Africa on Sunday but lost his place on the starting lineup to Paul Grayson and will sit on the bench.

Muller's back

The center was injured playing for Natal against an England A team a week before the Springboks were due to announce their World Cup squad.

At the time his career looked in danger of ending early. But he fought his way back to full fitness and, thanks to the suspension of colleague Brendan Venter, he now gets his chance to push South Africa into the semifinals of World Cup '99 by beating England in Paris.

"I remember the neck injury very well but you have to accept these things in life and fight back," Muller told the Sun.

"Being here is special. I does not change what happened in 1995 but it gives me the chance to play for my country in the World Cup, something I feared would never happen."

Lomu ahead, again

Lomu, who scored two against Tonga and Italy and one against England, is one try ahead of England winger Dan Luger and New Zealand fullback Jeff Wilson.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes rate the 6-foot-5 (1.96 meter), 260-pound (118 kg) Lomu as the 5-6 favorite to finish the World Cup as top try scorer. That's because the All Blacks are strong favorites to go all the way to the final and win the title for the second time.

On Sunday, they meet Scotland at Murrayfield and, provided they win that, will meet either France or Argentina for a place in the final.

 

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