Woodward and Aussies in league row

Clive Woodward fired a broadside at Australia coach Eddie Jones yesterday in the row over picking high-profile rugby league players. Jones began the argument, taking a swipe at Woodward for rushing Henry Paul into the England squad before he had 'earned the jumper' and claiming that Australia had left their league signings, Wendell Sailor and Mat Rogers, behind for that very reason.

But England coach Woodward, annoyed by the criticism, hit back after making seven changes to the team beaten in Ireland last month, saying: 'I would never have played Sailor and Rogers, but I would have had the guts to bring them into the squad so they could work with the other players. 'Let's be under no illusions. Rogers and Sailor have signed up to play for Australia. How you do it is up to you. But it does annoy me when other coaches question why I've brought Henry Paul into the England squad.'

Having said last week that the £1million centre from the Bradford Bulls would not be starting any of this month's Tests against Australia, Romania and South Africa, Woodward made his position clearer yesterday.

He said: 'I believe Henry will play for England one day but it will be on merit, when he deserves to get past the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Catt, Will Greenwood and so on. I don't want to give him a cheap cap, and he doesn't want to be picked until he has earned it.

We could play him against Romania next week and he could do fantastically well, but that is wrong. He's a world-class centre who is learning the game and I love the way he's integrating with the team.'

Australia captain George Gregan won the International Player of the Year award at the Professional Rugby Players' Association dinner in London last night. England's Jason Robinson scooped the Newcomer of the Year award and Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll took the try of the year prize for his effort for the Lions against Australia in Brisbane.