BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | International | Woodward rejects burnout fear

England coach Clive Woodward says he does not believe player burnout will scupper England's World Cup chances.

With the autumn's big internationals against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa looming in the midst of the Zurich Premiership season, fears are growing of injury to key players.

I think a lot of people concentrate, wrongly, on the number of games

Clive Woodward

But, speaking to BBC Radio Five Live, Woodward said he felt the calendar leading up to the World Cup would benefit England.

"We go to Australia and New Zealand next year and we're back by 21 June," he said.

"The World Cup is not until October we play a couple of warm up games and that gives us an 11-week break."

Woodward said he did not feel players were playing too many matches - but stressed the need for players to take a complete break from the game to recover from an arduous season.

"I think a lot of people concentrate, wrongly, on the number of games. I don't think it is that, the biggest thing for me is having an off-season," he said.

"If every summer a player has a proper break, including at least four or five weeks with no rugby, then he starts his conditioning for five or six weeks, you can play more games.

"If a player does not have an off-season, it just catches up with him."

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And although Woodward said it was too early to predict whether England could win the World Cup, he stressed he was delighted with the preparation.

"I think a lot has gone into this planning-wise, and by the World Cup the England players should be as physically conditioned as any other nation and that's a major thing," he said.

"We'll know a lot more about our chances in a year's time.

"The thing I'm really pleased about is that we play Australia and New Zealand away.

"It's great playing these teams at Twickenham, but the real test is also playing them away from home."


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