Guscott has his say over make-up of Eight Nations

EX-ENGLAND and Lions star Jeremy Guscott has joined Fiji coach Vern Cotter in questioning the make-up for the groups for the proposed Eight Nations tournament this autumn.

The Six Nations countries are set to be joined by Japan and Fiji in an autumn spectacular to replace the traditional European tours of southern hemisphere heavyweights South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Former Scotland coach Cotter, who was appointed Fiji boss in January, voiced his bemusement at the reported two groupings for the Eight Nations tournament that sees England, Wales and Ireland in with the Pacific Islanders.

It leaves Japan, Scotland, France and Italy to fight it out in the other group to make the Twickenham final.

And Guscott, has called for Eight Nations tournament chiefs to make changes to the groups, with either Wales or Ireland replacing Scotland.

The BBC TV pundit told The Rugby Paper: “The only aspect of the autumn that might need amending is the lopsided pool structure with one report suggesting England, Ireland, Wales and Fiji in one pool, and France, Scotland, Italy and Japan in the other.

“With the World Rugby rankings placing England at three, Ireland at four and Wales at six, it would be more balanced if either Ireland or Wales swapped with Scotland, who are at eight.”

■ South Africa’s 1995 World Cup-winning captain has reportedly fallen out with some of his team-mates from that historic day for taking a knee at last month’s Solidarity Cup cricket match. The 53-year-old was attending the event in Gauteng in his role as the CEO of 3-Team Cricket.

Before the first ball was bowled, players and staff present at the match took a knee. According to South African media outlet Rapport, Pienaar’s decision to lend his voice to the movement did not sit well with his former team-mates.

They added the discussion became so heated that it ended with him leaving the WhatsApp group made up of members of the 1995 team. Pienaar, the report says, posted a message to the group explaining his decision before leaving.

Speaking to Rapport, Pienaar said he was disappointed that the information had come out.

“What does surprise me is that the group is private but the information came out,” he said, adding that there had been other instances of members leaving and then returning to the group once things had “cooled down”.