Grewcock could get off lightly

'You have to take the word of the man who was on the receiving end. Kyran is supporting Grewcock in what he did. He says that it wasn't intentional but accidental. If he doesn't think it was malicious, then it will be up to the judiciary to decide.'

The RFU, whose disciplinary procedures have been streamlined since the lengthy delays over Martin Johnson's high-profile case last season, expect to appoint a three-man panel within the next 24 hours and hear the case next week.

The scale of sentence at their disposal for a player found guilty of kicking an opponent is set out in the regulations.

These state: 'The recommended sanctions (three to 26 weeks) are only a guide and panels should use their experience when determining sentence.

'The quote "norm" assumes a plea of guilty for which a discount has been applied. Where a player pleads not guilty but is found to have committed the offence, it would be conditional to impose a slightly higher penalty.'

Ashley Rounden, the senior touch judge whose intervention resulted in Grewcock being sent off by Bristol referee Steve Leyshon, submitted his report on the incident yesterday.

In the heat of the moment, Bracken was understood to have been overheard by players shouting: 'Did you see that?' to Rounden but the official refused to make any comment.

England manager Clive Woodward saw the match and Saracens confirmed yesterday that he spoke to Bracken shortly after the incident. Both players started another working week on the same side, among a total of 50 summoned to the first national training camp of the season.

Ironically, Johnson could be affected by the outcome of the case. With Ben Kay increasingly regarded their leading second row forward, England will have to choose between Johnson and Grewcock against the All Blacks, assuming the latter gets off comparatively lightly.

Saracens' attitude towards Sunday's incident is in marked contrast to last season under the previous management of Francois Pienaar.

Then, they campaigned long and loud for action against Johnson for punching their Scotland hooker Robbie Russell, an incident caught by the cameras in full technicolour. The then England captain was eventually suspended for three weeks.

Keith Wood, who missed last Saturday's friendly against Romania following the death of his brother Gordon, will lead a 26-man Ireland squad for their World Cup qualifier against Russia in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk on Saturday week.