MIKE TINDALL WILL play for England against Romania in the Rugby World Cup, despite the controversy surrounding a night out for the players last week.
Tindall was caught on CCTV chatting up a mystery blonde* at a bar only six weeks after marrying the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips, but team boss Martin Johnson is sticking by the 32-year-old as England look to recover from two poor performances against Argentina and Georgia.
Phillips will fly out to Dunedin to see her husband play on Saturday.
Meanwhile, The Daily Mirror reports Jonny Wilkinson is in defiant form ahead of the match, insisting his team-mates need a dominant performance.
“In World Cups you just can’t afford to miss a game,” said the Toulon star, who is expected to replace Toby Flood.
“We’ve talked in training this week about doing what we do in practice but doing it better, and understanding that mistakes in a World Cup are going to cost you.”
Probable England team: B Foden; C Ashton, M Tuilagi, M Tindall, M Cueto; J Wilkinson, B Youngs; M Stevens, S Thompson, D Wilson, L Deacon, T Palmer, T Croft, L Moody (capt), J Haskell.
*How come it’s never a ‘predictable blonde’? Just a thought.
