RUGBY UNION: Battered, bruised and stitched together, full-back Josh Lewsey is excited to be back in England colours for the clash with Australia this Saturday and has not let the experience of having his head trampled on affect his preparations.

Lewsey had feared for his eyesight as the boot of New Zealand lock Ali Williams connected repeatedly to the side of his face and the back of his head last weekend, leaving him requiring stitches.

''I try and stay away from the forwards,'' he said, the scabs on his face healing nicely. "I don't see it as being an issue.''

Lewsey will sport the number 15 shirt in an England side that contains two changes, both in the front row.

England team to play Australia in Melbourne on Saturday, June 21: J Lewsey (Wasps); J Robinson (Sale), W Greenwood (Harlequins), M Tindall (Bath), B Cohen (Northampton); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), K Bracken (Saracens); T Woodman (Gloucester), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), M Johnson (Leicester, cpt), B Kay (Leicester), R Hill (Saracens), N Back (Leicester), L Dallaglio (Wasps)

Replacements: M Regan (Leeds), J Leonard (Harlequins), S Borthwick (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps), M Dawson (Northampton), A King (Wasps), D Luger (Harlequins).

BOXING: Lennox Lewis has been accused of ducking out of a fight with International Boxing Federation champion Chris Byrd. The American will be ringside at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on Saturday night to watch Lewis defend his World Boxing Council title against Vitali Klitschko.

But Byrd believes he should be facing Lewis having inflicted the only blemish on Klitschko's career in Germany just over three years ago.

''That's the fight I've always wanted because everyone thinks he's so big and so good,'' said Byrd of Lewis. ''I will clown him and beat him in the process."

ATHLETICS: Scottish 800 metres record holder Susan Scott admits only another sub-two minute race will ensure a world championship place.

Scott broke the 32-year-old Scottish two-lap record with her British rankings-topping 1min 59.30secs run at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester last year.

But, with meetings ahead in Florence and Glasgow, Scott appreciates the need to get herself focused before the August 11 deadline.

She said: ''I need to go sub-two minutes to qualify for the world championships but doing it last season makes it psychologically easier."

CRICKET: Zimbabwe clinched a thrilling three-run win over Somerset in the 50-over tour match at Taunton - but it was victory at a price.

Stuart Carlisle, whose 119 had led the tourists to a total of 285 for nine after winning the toss, later sustained a dislocated right thumb fielding a full-blooded cover drive from Ian Blackwell.

MOTOR RACING: Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has joined forces with Michael Schumacher in criticising Formula One's current points system as ''absurd.''

Five-times world champion Schumacher captured the lead in this season's title race for the first time on Sunday with his victory in the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal.

It was Schumacher's fourth race win. ''To go top of the championship was important in spite of this absurd points system.

Schumacher only has a small advantage at the top of the table despite winning four races to Kimi Raikkonen's one,'' extolled de Montezemolo on Schumacher's Canadian success.

ATHLETICS: Cathy Freeman's disappointing comeback looks to have convinced the Olympic 400metres champion to hang up her spikes at the end of the season.

Freeman, who took two years away from athletics following the Olympics for a rest and then to help care for her sick husband Sandy Bodecker, has been sluggish on the track where results have been disappointing.

Her fifth-placed finish at the Prefontaine Classic last month, in a race won by Mexico's Ana Guevara, has raised doubts in the champion's mind about whether she can continue to do her reputation justice.

FOOTBALL: Albany Northern League Second Division club Crook Town are holding their Annual General meeting in the Millfield clubhouse on Thursday , 26th June, beginning at 7pm.

Meanwhile, Murton are hoping to announce their new manager in the next couple of days.

SPORT ON TV: A selective guide to today's viewing -

CRICKET: Twenty20 Cup, Worcestershire v Warwickshire - Sky Sports 1 1730.

RACING: From Ascot - BBC1 1345 & BBC2 1530, highlights BBC1 2320; from Ripon and Worcester - Sky Sports 2 1830.

FOOTBALL: Confederations Cup, France v Colombia - British Eurosport 1945; Toulon Under-21 Tournament, Colombia v Mexico - British Eurosport 1430; Italy v Poland - British Eurosport 1700.

TENNIS: The Samsung Open, Nottingham - Sky Sports 1 1330; The Ordina Open in Holland - British Eurosport 1200.

BASEBALL: Major League Baseball - Five 0015 (Thurs).