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Sir Clive Woodward has slammed Warren Gatland’s decision to pick just two specialist hookers, calling the decision wrong and a health risk.

England’s 2003 World Cup winning coach maintained it would be dangerous for Wales to employ prop Aaron Jarvis at hooker if Scott Baldwin or Ken Owens are put out of action - as Gatland is planning to do.

Woodward claimed Wales or Australia, who have also named only two hookers in their squad, wouldn’t mind if their match(es) with hosts England in so-called group of death resulted in uncontested scrums because of hooker unavailability.

“It’s a scenario which I suspect neither Wales nor Australia would be unhappy with given their desire not to really engage with the England pack in the tight any more than they have to,” rapped Woodward in a column for the Daily Mail.

“What is going on here is open to interpretation, but it is just so wrong.

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“Since the last World Cup the size of the squads has been increased from 30 to 31 specifically to allow for an extra front-row forward to be included for well-founded safety issues.”

Woodward urged England coach Stuart Lancaster to raise the matter and demand Rugby World Cup chiefs force each of the 20 countries competing in the tournament to have three specialist hookers in their squad.

“I am sure that is what RWC intended even if they seem to have left a loophole by actually insisting on just six specialist front row forwards in a match-day 23,” said Woodward.

Woodward pointed out Baldwin and Owens could potentially end up playing in seven matches apiece, using that as evidence of the need for a third specialist.

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“I look at Wales and Australia naming just two hookers and I wonder if they are being really fair to their own players, let alone the opposition, and the paying public?” Woodward said.

“Firstly, what happens if one of those hookers falls ill or gets injured within 48 hours of a match? Don’t forget a replacement hooker needs to have spent a minimum of 48 hours physically with the squad before he is eligible to play.”

Woodward, who coached the 2005 Lions to defeat in New Zealand, claimed having a partially fit hooker on the bench would be dangerous with teams under the threat of sanctions and a possible points deduction from Rugby World Cup if they can’t field the required six front-row forwards in their match-day squad.

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“In such a scenario there could be huge pressure on the medical staff to declare the player fit, or for the player himself to answer the call and play at hooker,” alleged Woodward.

“With a genuine third hooker in the squad you wouldn’t have to take that risk. Say the first-choice hooker goes off in the first half with a bad injury and the replacement goes on and immediately aggravates his shoulder or ankle and has to go off. What happens next?

“With no specialist hooker available for one side, the referee – under my reading of the regulation – would have no option but to order uncontested scrums, that is both sides leaning gently against each other.

“Taking two hookers for the entire tournament and expecting them both to remain match fit is a big risk to the game and the players.

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“It is players on both sides of the scrum who are at risk. If a scrum goes down because a Welsh or Australian hooker is only half-fit, a front rower in the opposition pack is just as vulnerable to serious harm.

“The notion that a world-class prop can cover for hooker at this level, even if he dabbled in that position coming up through the age grades, is fanciful and misguided in the modern game.

“I spoke to a recently retired England prop just this week and he, the expert, insisted it was inconceivable and dangerous to ask a prop to hook in elite Test rugby.

“In fact, he was emphatic that it should not even be allowed in professional club games either. The game has moved on. It can never be right to pressurise a specialist prop to cover at hooker.

“If any nation is putting forward a prop as an emergency hooking option they should provide documentary evidence of at least 20 starts at hooker in professional 15-a-side rugby.

“I am frankly surprised Wales, given the health concerns over George North (concussion) last season, could even be contemplating taking this risky route with another player – but looking at their squad that is the only conclusion you can draw,” claimed Woodward.

England coach Stuart Lancaster has picked three hookers in his squad, saying: “You have to have sufficient cover in the front-row to make sure you have all bases covered.

“I certainly wouldn’t have changed what we’ve done, no chance, I didn’t want to take that risk for the country. ”

World Rugby’s Law 3.5 requires any front-row replacement to be “suitably trained and experienced”.

Gatland said, just hours before the withering attack from Woodward: “We are doing some stuff with Aaron. It’s been highlighted we are taking a little bit of a risk.

“But so are most teams. The All Blacks have only picked three second-rows while some teams have gone for two No.9s or two No.10s.

“It’s a punt but, hopefully, we don’t get caught out. We would be pretty unlucky if that ends up being the case.”

And he revealed Wales would consider bringing in a third specialist hooker if, for example, one of the five locks he named for the tournaments was ruled out of it by injury.