Pool C News: By dropping Lawrence Sephaka to the bench for tomorrow's showdown with England, the Springbok coach Rudi Straeuli knew he would create a stir.

There were, he insisted, sound tactical reasons for the elevation of Christo Bezuidenhout but the consequence is that only one non-white player, Ashwin Willemse, will feature in South Africa's starting XV.

Never mind that Sephaka had a bad day propping opposite Uruguay's Pablo Lemoine last weekend for, in South African sport, nothing is ever that simple. In the Super 12, South African teams must have two non-white players in the starting line-up and two on the bench. At Test level, there is an understanding that they should attempt to select at least three non-white players in the 22 and two in the starting XV.

For the biggest game of his tenure, however, Straeuli has been unable to deliver.

The 33-year-old Bezuidenhout, born in the Canary Islands, where his father was employed laying cables, has never started a Test. The team manager, Gideon Sam, a former anti-apartheid activist, was at pains, nevertheless, to deflect any criticism from back home in the Republic.

"Maybe if we can explain to them this change is for tactical reasons they will be understanding," Sam said, acknowledging the injury to Gcobani Bobo had complicated the issue by reducing the number of non-white players in the Springbok squad from six to five. "There is no doubt in my mind this team are united. I'm convinced they are. If someone can prove otherwise, then we will look at it."

With Bezeidenhout's elevation the Pretoria-based Blue Bulls will supply the entire front five. The captain Corne Krige is back after missing the 72-6 defeat of Uruguay, with Jorrie Muller at centre in place of the injured Jaque Fourie and Jaco van der Westhuyzen at full-back in preference to Werner Greeff.

England, meanwhile, have confirmed the fitness of their scrum-halves Kyran Bracken and Matt Dawson. Bath's scrum-half Martyn Wood, having spent 60 hours in Australia as precautionary cover, is due back home this morning.

Clive Woodward, England's coach, said: "We've played South Africa nine times since I've been in charge and apart from probably one game for each side, it's always been close. They give their all every time you play them and I am expecting a massive battle."

Straeuli, meanwhile, added his voice to mounting condemnation of England's potent driving maul.

Australia's former captain John Eales, who lifted the World Cup in 1999, started the ball rolling yesterday with an interview in The Australian newspaper.

"England's mauling amounts to obstruction because Neil Back is being shepherded at the back of it without always being attached," said the former second row.

"It is the forward equivalent of a decoy play in the backline. The referee should give a penalty if he feels that Back is not bound to the maul. As long as he is bound there is no problem, but that is not always the case."

Australia coach Eddie Jones, whose verbal spats with Woodward have become the stuff of legend, also entered the fray.

"There is validity in what Eales is saying," he said. "If the maul is refereed to the letter of the law then what England are doing is illegal because the players with the ball must be connected to the defending team."

The South Africa match is being refereed by an Australian, Peter Marshall, and Straeuli will meet him today.

"I read what John Eales said. He's astute, he knows his rugby and at times England's mauling amounts to obstruction," said Straeuli. "It is one of the matters I will be raising with the referee."

England received a vote of no confidence yesterday from Claude Saurel, the Georgia coach whose side were beaten 84-6 by Woodward's team on Sunday.

"I didn't feel England were as confident as some people said they would be," he said. "Even against us, they seemed at times to have doubt about their game and to be over-careful about every move. I think they are so much under stress that they are going to be scared stiff before every game and I don't think you would be able to get a smile from Clive Woodward even if you bought him a bag of tickles."

Guardian Service