A round-up of today's other rugby news in brief.

Mortlock not upset as Jones helps SA

AUSTRALIA:Australia captain Stirling Mortlock says he is disappointed but not concerned that former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has reportedly agreed to help South Africa at this year's World Cup.

Australian rugby officials have publicly attacked Jones following widespread media reports that Jones was set to join the Springboks as a technical advisor.

Jones took charge of a few Springbok training sessions last week but the South African Rugby Union have not confirmed if the coach will play a role during the World Cup which starts in France in September.

"It's a little bit disappointing, but I think it also reflects the nature of professional rugby nowadays," Mortlock told reporters yesterday.

"Players go overseas and play now. Likewise coaches need to coach. So if they go overseas to do so, that's just a reflection of the environment that we are in at the moment."

Some officials have expressed their concern that Jones might divulge some of Australia's tactical secrets to the Springboks after he was involved in pre-season World Cup discussions.

Mortlock, who played under Jones with the Wallabies and ACT Brumbies, said it would have been better for Jones not to have been involved but he held little fear about him passing on secret information.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't think there's that much inside information that would be very useful."

NEW ZEALAND:New Zealand officials are still hoping injury-prone prop Greg Somerville will make it to the World Cup in France despite undergoing an eye operation yesterday.

Somerville is expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks after he suffered a retinal tear when he was accidentally poked in the right eye during a New Zealand provincial match on the weekend.

The prop's enforced rest means he is unlikely to play against before the final deadline for the announcement of World Cup squads.

SOUTH AFRICA:Hooker Bismarck du Plessis has been called into the Springbok World Cup squad to replace injured loose forward Pierre Spies, the South African Rugby Union announced yesterday.

Spies was withdrawn from the squad on Monday and ruled out of rugby for six-to-eight months because of blood clots on his lungs. No explanation was given as to why Spies had been replaced by a hooker.