Woodward: We'll kick out steroid use

Clive Woodward today claimed that any rugby player who got involved with the new drug THG would be "ridiculously stupid" and certain to get caught at the World Cup here in Australia.

Testing for the new anabolic steroid starts next week, 24 hours after England face Samoa in Melbourne, and England head coach Woodward is ready to make his players available any time of the day.

He said: "We had players tested in May and June, even in their homes and this is excellent. I don't want to be involved, apart from categorically saying whenever asked, I will always ensure that they are available for a test and to provide a sample.

"That is the sport that you want to be involved in, and I welcome it because they are doing it to all players, from all teams. We have to make sure that rugby union does not get involved in any situation that athletics seems to have done.

"In rugby there is no need to cheat because you can do all the preparation in the gym, take the right supplements and have the right diet. There is no need just to gain a marginal increase in performance by using a certain drug, it shouldn't happen and any player doing so is ridiculously stupid and is going to get caught."

Woodward is encouraged by the new testing programme and is supportive of any move to keep the sport clean at a time when the demand for success is higher than ever.

"To me, if they have found another drug - and another way of testing - that's fantastic and I am supportive of any increase in testing, or of new ways of finding new drugs in players' systems because you want to be involved in a sport that is drug free," added Woodward.

"You never say never, because you just don't really know what all the players are doing 24 hours a day, particularly the international players because they are playing for their Zurich Premiership clubs. All that you can do is your bit and I think that the Rugby Union is outstanding in this respect with the amount of advice given to the players.

"If this drug (THG) is out there the players will know that it is a drug that they shouldn't be taking, and they will also know that if they do they will ultimately get caught. That is the message we want to keep pushing through to them."

Meanwhile, Lawrence Dallaglio has been called many things in his rugby life, but never a professional cheat.

It was the most personal attack made by England's army of detractors at this World Cup and puts the London Wasps captain firmly under the spotlight against Samoa here in Melbourne on Sunday.

Former All Black great Stu Wilson fired that particular broadside at Dallaglio in the midst of a general volley of abuse designed to unsettle the England camp.

However, England fans can relax, Dallaglio is not shell-shocked and goes into the match armed with the same self-belief that has guided him through his career.

He said: "I have been around long enough not to worry about comments aimed at me and I wouldn't use a word like 'cheat'.

It's up to the referee to rule on that. I am not reading what people are saying about us because I don't need any more motivation to play for England than I already have.

"It's a mark of where England are moving to, that when we win a Test match against a major nation like South Africa by 19 points, everyone is very critical of us.

"We have an enormous amount of experience in the team and you must make that count - it allowed us to keep our composure against South Africa and it got us through. To have stopped South Africa from scoring a try was a big achievement."

Dallaglio is aware of the pressure being put on the experienced men to lift the team's performance to a higher level, and the return to Melbourne brings back fond memories.

It was there under the Telstra Stadium roof last June that England defeated Australia, a week after knocking over New Zealand in Wellington.

It confirmed their status as the No1 team in the world and set in motion the negative opinion that is now trying shake England's foundations.

But Dallaglio remains one of the major building blocks, although he realises no player is indispensable.

"The competition for places within this team is huge and that's why we are all doing our best to bring an improvement on Sunday," he added. "Samoa are a dangerous team that stand above us in Pool C. But if we can step up another level, England will be more and more difficult to beat."

England are proud of their "no tries against" column after two matches and they are hoping to keep that record intact against the Samoans.

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