Rugby Union: World Xv 7 - 32 South Africa

Andy Farrell's embryonic rugby union career was given a boost yesterday, at least off the field, when a World Cup-winning coach predicted he would play for England during this season's Six Nations, which is less than two months away. "If they have an extended squad, then I'd have him straight away," said Bob Dwyer, whose Australians lifted the cup in 1991 and who yesterday coached the World XV who were given a bit of a bloody nose.

Most would suggest that after only three starts in the Guinness Premiership at inside-centre the jury is a long way from any kind of verdict on Farrell, and yesterday provided little new evidence. It was billed as his first big test, which was a little unfair considering the team had been together for only a few days and that Justin Marshall and Thomas Castaignède played for their clubs on Saturday.

Nevertheless scrum-half, fly-half and inside-centre scraped together some sort of working relationship even if it held little threat to the South African line. In fact Marshall and Castaignède had both been replaced when Dwyer's men scored their only try from one of their few fluid moves. Farrell was involved before he off-loaded to the Australian centre Ryan Cross, who put Drew Mitchell over in the corner.

Against that, Farrell missed both his attempts at goal - one in front of the posts only 22 metres out - and handed the tactical kicking back to Castaignède for the second half while he spent most of the time trying to hold back the wave of Springboks.

South Africa leave England today knowing that after a shaky start to the tour Jake White has not only retained his job as coach but has a few more names for the World Cup, notably Danie Rossouw, a lock converted to No8, and Francois Steyn, who seems to have played almost everywhere in the Springbok back line.

The 19-year-old made his Test debut last month and was one of the few good things to happen to South Africa when they were humbled by Ireland. For two Saturdays against England, as the tour gathered momentum, he played full-back and yesterday he was given the No10 shirt where he plays most of his rugby.

Save for a bloody nose, which took five minutes to stanch, he looked cooler than many around him, not missing a kick until the final attempted conversion slipped wide and generally running the game. "He's a stand-out," said Dwyer.

World XV Perry (Bath; Cora, Asociación Alumni, 54); Schifcofske (Queensland Reds), Cross (Western Force), Farrell (Saracens), Mitchell (Western Force); Castaignède (Saracens; Delport, Worcester, 67), Marshall (Ospreys; Cooper, Dragons, 64); Hewett (Edinburgh; Henderson, ACT Brumbies, 73), Ongaro (Saracens; Basualdo, Asociación Alumni, 50), Visagie (Saracens), Shaw (Wasps), A Campbell (ACT Brumbies), Owen (Newport Gwent Dragons), O'Connor (Wasps; Croft, Queensland Reds, h-t), Dallaglio (capt, Wasps).

Try Mitchell. Con Schifcofske.

South Africa Fortuin (Nokwe, 64); Pretorius
Januarie, 25) Olivier
Barry
Bosman, 3), Pietersen
F Steyn
Pienaar
Carstens
Sephaka, 75), Ralepelle (capt; G Botha h-t), Van der Linde
Ackermann
A van den Berg
Van Heerden
Lobberts, 77), Britz
Rossouw


Tries Van Heerden 2, Van den Berg, Rossouw. Cons Steyn 3. Pens Pienaar, Steyn.

Referee S Davey (England).