England's bid to end their grand slam jinx this weekend received an unexpected boost last night when the replacement lock Danny Grewcock was cleared to play in Sunday's title decider against Ireland by a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel.

Grewcock was found guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct in ripping up the headguard of Northampton's Mark Connors in a Zurich Premiership match this month but escaped with a '500 fine plus '125 costs. The tribunal cleared him of two separate charges of punching.

The 30-year-old Bath captain will now be available for his club's crucial relegation games against Wasps and London Irish next month, as well as the final leg of England's grand slam bid.

"It's an act of frustration that I regret, but I think they've come to a fair conclusion. I'm very pleased," said Grewcock after the two-hour hearing. In his defence, he claimed that, as a result of mild concussion, he could remember nothing about the game

England have named an unchanged side for the Ireland match, the first time in eight games this season that Clive Woodward has given any starting XV a collective vote of confidence.

The only changes to the 22-man squad from the 40-9 win over Scotland involve some tinkering with the replacements, with Kyran Bracken and Dorian West preferred on the bench to Andy Gomarsall and Mark Regan. "It's not the time to experiment in a one-off game we want to win - one we must win," said Woodward.

The adjustments on the bench, though, betray Woodward's determination not to be outflanked again. Neither Regan nor Gomarsall would let him down, but the head coach is clearly thinking of worst-case scenarios.

West has been at the heart of Leicester's pack long enough not to panicand, as a line-out thrower, could probably find his club-mates Martin Johnson and Ben Kay in his sleep.

Gomarsall's probable crime is having been part of the Gloucester team who froze against Munster in the Heineken Cup this year. Rather than risk reopening such mental scars, Woodward has plumped for the Dublin-born Bracken.

Gloucester's James Simpson-Daniel has been ruled out of Friday night's A international between England and Ireland after suffering a shoulder injury in last week's A team victory over Scotland.

England: Lewsey (Wasps); Robinson (Sale), Greenwood (Harlequins), Tindall (Bath), Cohen (Northampton); Wilkinson (Newcastle), Dawson (Northampton); Rowntree (Leicester), Thompson (Northampton), Leonard (Harlequins), Johnson (Leicester, capt), Kay (Leicester), Hill (Saracens), Back (Leicester), Dallaglio (Wasps). Replacements: West (Leicester), Woodman (Gloucester), Grewcock (Bath), Worsley (Wasps), Bracken (Saracens), Grayson (Northampton), Luger (Harlequins).

Guardian Unlimited ' Guardian Newspapers Limited 2001

Tweet