MANCHESTER UNITED legend Bobby Charlton reckons that Twickenham, the home of English rugby, would be a perfect venue for the FA to stage soccer internationals.

Charlton said: "Twickenham would be ideal for soccer - it could be a second Wembley. And it would enable big games to be staged in England instead of Cardiff while Wembley is being rebuilt."

Sir Bobby, who visited Twickenham Stadium for the first time on Tuesday to announce nominations for the 2004 Laureus World Sports Awards, added: "I am most impressed with the ground - it has a great atmosphere."

England's achievement in becoming the first northern hemisphere team to win the Rugby World Cup was recognised with double nominations for the Laureus awards. The England team, including Harlequins stars Jason Leonard and Will Greenwood and Ham resident Lawrence Dallaglio, was nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, while Jonny Wilkinson was nominated as World Sportsman of the Year.

But there will be no Twickenham farewell for veteran prop Leonard as England coach Clive Woodward has not named him - even as a substitute - for the international against Wales on Saturday.

Leonard and Neil Black had given notice that they would be quitting the international scene at the end of the Six Nations Championship - and Woodward has overlooked them both, while again picking Wasps star Dallaglio and Quins centre Greenwood as captain and vice captain.

Woodward snapped: "I'm not here to organise players' retirement parties - I have based my selection on current form and fitness and nothing else."

So unless Woodward has a change of mind when picking the team to visit France on Saturday March 27 in the last Six Nations fixture, Leonard, 35, will have to be content with a world record 114 caps.

Former England captain Will Carling, at the Laureus nominations with Bobby Charlton, former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick and double athletics Olympic gold medal winner Lord Sebastian Coe, does not think Woodward will relent.

He told me: "There is a chance that Jason could be on the bench against France because his experience and battling qualities would be useful in the last 30 minutes, but it is an outside chance.

"You've got to earn the right to an England shirt and I don't think Jason would want it on sentimental grounds. But over 14 years he has made an extraodinary contribution on and off the field. His humour and determination have helped to relieve the tension and everyone has so much respect for him.

"Will Greenwood probably would not be a candidate as a future England captain because of his age, but he is the lynch pin in midfield. He is a great creator and his defence stood up better than many expected in the World Cup."

* The Welsh RFU overlooked Quins chief executive and head coach Mark Evans and firm favourite Gareth Jenkins by appointing Mike Ruddock of Gwent Dragons as their new national coach.

Jenkins, Llanelli's 52-year-old director of rugby, has accused the Welsh RFU of lacking integrity and ethics after they appointed a man who had originally declared himself a non-runner.