Campese: We must do more for the minnows

The International Rugby Board are considering reducing the number teams at the 2011 tournament in New Zealand from 20 to 16, which would mean fewer minnows taking part.

However, Campese believes the IRB should have adopted a radical proposal put forward by England in their failed bid to host this year's World Cup which would have made the tournament more even.

The Rugby Football Union, who failed to get any major support for their ground-breaking idea, wanted to run two competitions - the main Cup and a parallel event for the smaller nations - to ensure those countries did not get embarrassed by suffering cricket scores against the top teams.

Campese fears that will be a fate suffered by many of the lesser rugby nations in the coming weeks in France and predicts Namibia could give away more than 300 points from their three pool games against the hosts, Ireland and Argentina.

The outspoken Australian World Cup winner said: "Namibia conceded a century of points in a recent warm-up match with South Africa and you have to ask the question; why are amateur teams playing in the World Cup in the professional era?

"I think it's pathetic. The IRB should have gone with England's idea of two tournaments running at the same time.

"The IRB haven't thought about where the World Cup is heading and I do not see how is it going to help the sport in Namibia, Georgia and Portugal to have these teams hammered in every game.

"How are you helping spread the game of rugby by showing those teams being badly beaten on regular basis?

"I can see a strong argument for the Cup going straight into a quarter-final format for the top eight ranked teams.

"This isn't like the cricket World Cup where we saw Ireland and Bangladesh making it into the knock-out stages. In rugby, the winner will come from the same five or six countries. End of story."

Campese, who scored 64 tries in 101 Tests, recently completed a two-year stint with the Natal Sharks Super 14 outfit, working as skills coach and helping the team move off the bottom of the table to reach this season's final.

He also coached at Grey College - South Africa's top rugby school in Bloemfontein - and is this week passing on his experience to pupils at Wellington College in Berkshire.

Having worked with the Durban-based Sharks, Campese has been taking a close interest in South Africa's build-up to the World Cup, in which the Springboks are in the same pool as England for the second successive tournament.

Most people have written off England's chances of retaining the trophy they won in 2003 and Campese, never slow to have a dig at the old enemy, agrees.

"They haven't got a chance, mate," he said. "Look, you have a great wing in Jason Robinson and England never give him the ball. I watched the recent games with France and when England do try and run the ball they just head across the field. No one straightens the line, offers a different angle or knows how to run support lines.

"They just wait for the guy with the ball to do something instead of coming up with angles that could make a difference.

"While I can understand the decision to bring back some of the older, experienced players, you need match winners. Sure, Jonny Wilkinson is going to kick some goals, but he isn't going to produce the kind of game we know Dan Carter can offer for New Zealand at No10.

"With the Springboks it's a case of how they react when teams attack their scrum and line-out - their real strengths. They do have a few good players but don't create a lot and what surprised me while working with the Sharks is how many players arrive at Super 14 level and need to be shown how to pass properly and side step."

Campese will be among more than 50 former stars attending a special dinner in London on 4 September. Gareth Edwards, Francois Pienaar, Martin Johnson, Jonah Lomu and John Eales are also on the guest list of the RugbyreUnion event, which is jointly organised by the IRB.

Given his views on the World Cup, no doubt, IRB members will be giving Campese a wide berth on the night. ¦ To attend the RugbyreUnion event call 020 7240 7700 or visit:www.therugbyreunion.com