Rugby Union: Ashton Sends in the Marines

England's World Cup preparations took a surprise twist yesterday when the squad were sent to train with the Royal Marines for three days instead of flying to Portugal for a scheduled fitness camp.

The 48-man squad, without the Leicester prop Julian White, missing for personal reasons, were given no warning and will be expected to complete a series of demanding exercises at undisclosed venues across southern Britain before heading for the Algarve on Thursday.

The head coach, Brian Ashton, wants to foster a closer team ethic and find out how players react under pressure. He must hope it proves more beneficial than South Africa's infamous boot camp before the 2003 World Cup, Kamp Staaldraad, where players were required to pump up balls in a freezing lake and crawl naked over gravel. They were also told to strip and climb into a hole, whereupon recordings of the English national anthem and New Zealand's haka were played.

The current Springbok coach, Jake White, has named a shadow squad for the remainder of the Tri-Nations. Thirteen players are rested and eight are injured, leaving a team of fringe contenders to face Australia in Sydney on July 7 and New Zealand in Christchurch a week later.

Australian officials said supporters were being ripped off. "On behalf of the fans we will pursue this issue and seek to get the decision reversed," said the Australian Rugby Union chairman, Peter McGrath.

Australia's coach, John Connolly, said the increasing number of Tests involving weakened teams was undermining the sport. "When you make two or three changes I don't have a problem with that. But when 10, 15, 20 players are left out then it becomes an issue for the game."

A certain World Cup absentee is the Springbok forward AJ Venter, who has announced his international retirement.