Rugby Union: Yates Returns After 10 Years As Injuries Mount

England's bid to avoid a heavy defeat in today's first Test has been undermined by the nasty stomach virus that has now affected almost a third of the squad. All fit members of the tour party have been put on standby in case of further overnight casualties and Brian Ashton may have to make at least four emergency changes to his original team-sheet.

David Strettle, so feverish that he has spent the past three days in a high-dependency unit at a Johannesburg hospital, and Nick Wood (chest muscle) have already been replaced by Iain Balshaw and Kevin Yates and there are significant doubts over the health of Andy Farrell and Peter Richards, neither of whom were well enough to train yesterday.

The bug can strike with little warning and the England team doctor Simon Kemp has warned the epidemic could claim further victims in the final hours before kick-off. Toby Flood and Andy Gomarsall are poised to start at center and scrum-half respectively unless Farrell and Richards make rapid recoveries and two replacements, the Bath prop Matt Stevens and the Saracens' wing Dan Scarbrough, have already been flown in as precautionary cover.

The only good news is that Strettle is not suffering from anything more serious than severe dehydration caused by 18 hours of constant vomiting. He is due out of hospital today but the luckless Wood, who had been poised to win his first cap, is out of the entire tour after straining a pectoral muscle in training.

His replacement Yates will set a new record for the longest gap between international caps, having made his only two previous appearances in Argentina almost 10 years ago. "I never gave up hope," Yates said yesterday. "All you can do is keep doing your best for your club. I have got plenty of experience, but it is nice to be the youngster in the front-row for a change."

His delight must be tempered by the realization of what lies ahead. South Africa have a monster pack and are itching to avenge their 50-point thrashing at Twickenham five years ago. The outlook for England could hardly be less encouraging.

Yates, incredibly, is the youngster of England's front row at the ripe old age of 34 and, if Farrell is ruled out, the heaviest individual in the visitors' backline will be the debutant full-back Mike Brown, a mere 14st 3lb. "Any side coming to South Africa at the moment would find it an incredible challenge and our current circumstances have magnified it," sighed Ashton. If England are unable to show sufficient attitude at altitude it could be total carnage.

Bloemfontein 2pm Referee S Walsh (New Zealand) TV Sky Sports 2

15 P Montgomery (Sharks)

14 A Willemse (Lions)

13 W Olivier (Bulls)

12 J de Villiers (Stormers)

11 B Habana (Bulls)

10 B James (Sharks)

9 E Januarie (Lions)

1 D Carstens (Sharks)

2 J Smit (Sharks, capt)

3 BJ Botha (Sharks)

4 B Botha (Bulls)

5 V Matfield (Bulls)

6 S Burger (Stormers)

7 J Smith (Cheetahs)

8 D Rossouw (Bulls)

Replacements G Steen-kamp (Bulls), G Botha (Bulls), CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs), J Muller (Sharks), P Spies (Bulls), R Pienaar (Sharks), F Steyn (Sharks)

15 M Brown (Harlequins)

14 I Balshaw (Gloucester)

13 M Tait (Newcastle)

12 A Farrell (Saracens)

11 J Robinson (Sale, capt)

10 J Wilkinson (Newcastle)

9 P Richards (Gloucester)

1 K Yates (Saracens)

2 M Regan (Bristol)

3 S Turner (Sale)

4 D Schofield (Sale)

5 A Brown (Gloucester)

6 C Jones (Sale)

7 A Hazell (Gloucester)

8 N Easter (Harlequins)

Replacements M Cairns (Saracens), D Crompton (Bristol), R Winters (Bristol), P Sanderson (Worcester), A Gomarsall (Harlequins), T Flood (Newcastle)