Woodward prepared for a tour de force

The long hot summer: It's anything but a southern hemisphere comfort zone as England put No 1 status on the line

There is nothing riding on England's brief but intense excursion to the southern hemisphere over the next few weeks other than the fact that Clive Woodward will discover whether his team are world No 1 in name only.

The mini-tour comes four months before the start of the World Cup in Australia, and Woodward could have identified it as an experiment in testing the water. Instead, he said: "These are huge games for us and the match against the All Blacks is colossal, because we don't meet too often. I want England to be as strong as possible.''

England - they play a Maori side in New Plymouth on 9 June, New Zealand in Wellington on 14 June and Australia in Melbourne a week later - took on the status of world-beaters largely through their invincibility at Twickenham. A truly marvellous achievement in knocking over the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Springboks in the autumn was enhanced by the Six Nations Grand Slam.

When New Zealand visited last November they were out of season and their party contained a host of new faces. It didn't stop them from putting up a tremendous show, and since then New Zealand teams, minus England's tormentor Jonah Lomu, have dominated Super 12. Lomu has suffered a relapse of a condition that has been plaguing him for seven years. He will need renal dialysis and possibly a kidney transplant.

As Woodward says, a match between the country ranked one and the country generally regarded as World Cup favourites is indeed colossal. England travel without the injured Lewis Moody, Julian White, Ollie Smith, Charlie Hodgson, Austin Healey and the suspended Danny Grewcock. The World Cup squad of 30 will be chosen after matches against Wales and France in August and September, and the most difficult job for Woodward is identifying who is past their sell-by-date.

There have already been signs that Martin Johnson and his Leicester team-mates Neil Back, Dorian West and Graham Rowntree are nearing the end of their careers. In this regard Woodward will have to show infinitely better judgement than that displayed in the Danny Grewcock affair.

The Bath captain was selected for the trip to the anti-podes despite being sent off during the Parker Pen Challenge Cup final against Wasps last Sunday. Grewcock, a card collector, was shown the red after punching Lawrence Dallaglio. What makes Dallaglio a target is not only his habit of killing the ball but of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nevertheless, what followed Grewcock's dismissal was almost as shameful as the offence itself.

Grewcock's penalty was a derisory two-week ban, but even so there was talk of an appeal. "I watched the incident and didn't regard it as a red card,'' Woodward said. "I don't see Danny as a liability, quite the opposite. I wouldn't pick anyone I felt couldn't control themselves under the utmost pressure. The disciplinary people said the length of the ban was a reflection of his exemplary record.''

After selecting Grewcock, Woodward, who was expecting an appeal against the suspension, then announced that the Lions lock would be replaced by Tom Palmer. Grewcock is a big player with a short fuse. Woodward has a blind spot when it comes to dealing with members of the Red Rose brigade who are prone to bouts of the red mist. The words "exemplary" and "Grewcock", who was sent off on England's last tour of New Zealand, do not belong in the same sentence, although he has already been pencilled in for the World Cup squad.

England's strength in depth is underlined by the inclusion of Phil Christophers, Henry Paul and Olly Barkley for contests against America and Canada this month.

Whereas England's raid is in full combat gear, the other home countries travel more in exploration than hope. Ireland, who play Australia, Tonga and Samoa, are without their captain, Brian O'Driscoll, and eight other automatic choices, including hooker Frank Sheahan, who left the tour after an "administrative" error in not declaring a banned stimulant for a condition. The good news for Ireland, who beat the Wallabies in Dublin last year, is that Australia are in a similar position. Absentees include Matthew Burke, Daniel Herbert, Stephen Larkham, Stirling Mortlock, Ben Tune and Owen Finegan. Among those promoted are former league international Lote Tuqiri and Morgan Turinui.

Wales, who play Australia and New Zealand, have recalled the veteran Chris Wyatt, who replaces the injured Michael Owen, and include two rookies in the back row, Alex Popham of Leeds and Gareth Delve of Bath. Ideally Steve Hansen, Wales's coach, would like to follow Ireland's example and get contenders playing at home, although given the fall-out from the regional reshuffle and the row over money, Welsh rugby does not live in an ideal world.

When Hansen does get his hands on the players he is reluctant to let them go, and Saracens are furious that he will not release Tom Shanklin, who is joining Cardiff, to attend a farewell dinner.

In recent seasons the Scots have been attempting repatriation, particularly with the introduction of a third professional team, without success, conspicuous or other- wise. Bryan Redpath, who captains Scotland against South Africa, still plies his trade in England, as does another key figure, Tom Smith. Smith misses Scotland's tour because of injury. Compared to the demands on players in the Zurich Premiership, the vast majority of Scots should be as fresh as daisies.

Nor will they have to face Corne Krige, the flanker who left bodies scattered over Twickenham. Though he has been named Springbok's captain for the World Cup, Krige is recovering from injury.

After South Africa's defeat by England neither Krige nor the coach, Rudi Straeuli, were able to look Woodward in the eye. In the World Cup, however, they will most definitely go eyeball to eyeball.