England: We're not cheats

Clive Woodward's team have been the subject of a growing campaign to discredit their tactics over the past week with former players lining up to criticise their style of play.

But today England's players lined up to defend themselves against the accusations that they are cheating.

Prop Trevor Woodman said: "We are not cheats and would be giving away more penalties and picking up yellow cards if that was the case."

Mike Tindall, the England centre, added: "We know how to slow opposition ball down and stay within in the rules of the game and it's then up to the referee."

Lawrence Dallaglio is the latest to be singled out with the former All Black Stu Wilson labelling him a "professional cheat". Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Wilson said: "Lawrence Dallaglio is the most professional cheat I have seen and a few more in the pack aren't far behind as they keep trying to bend the rules to breaking point.

"England repeatedly looked like stunned mullets at times in Perth (against South Africa) as Peter Marshall, the referee, told them to stop cheating and let the ball go.

"One of their main offences is lying all over the ball. Unlike when I played, you can't sort them out yourself for illegal play. Our forwards would have rucked the hell out of them and they certainly wouldn't have done it again."

Dallaglio was also criticised by the Springboks for hitting Thinus Delport after the South African had put his fingers in his face at the bottom of a ruck. They complained to the independent commissioner but he decided not to cite the England flanker.

Marshall's comments will further increase the pressure on Woodward's side and follow last week's criticism by former Australian captain John Eales, who said that England's rolling maul was often illegal.