'England are thugs' say Kiwi press

World champs claim Bok mantle

World champions England have been branded thugs and 'bully-boys' by the New Zealand media after coach Clive Woodward's team - led by Lawrence Dallaglio - were beaten 2-0 in the recent Test series in New Zealand.

While England were comprehensively beaten in both Test matches, most of the talk has centered around the ugly flare-ups that punctuated both games in Dunedin last week and again in Auckland on Saturday.

It all culminated in lock Simon Shaw being awarded a red card at Eden Park for dropping his knee on All Blacks second rower Keith Robinson.

And while Shaw escaped any further punishment from a disciplinary committee on Sunday, team-mate and fellow lock Danny Grewcock was banned for two months for foul play in the Auckland Test.

It is nothing new for Grewcock with the fiery Bath skipper receiving a red card in Dunedin in the 1998 tour. And Grewcock was also a key protagonist in fisticuffs in the very same place this year.

The New Zealand media have come out firing - claiming that the majority of the fighting was instigated by England players.

Under the Dominion Post headline 'Dirty England A Disgrace', Australian columnist Spiro Zavos wrote that England were "nothing more than a rabble, a rugby equivalent of a lynch mob, intent on playing All Blacks off the ball and angering them into mistakes and indiscretions".

Woodward, of course, has attempted to defend his players - attacking match officials for a "ridiculous decision" and claiming that Shaw was merely trying to release his leg from the ruck by pushing off Robinson.

"Julian White had stood on the player, and Simon couldn't get his leg away and he put his knee between the player's shoulder blades. He is not a dirty player, and it was a huge call from the touch judge, who was so far away," said Woodward after the match.

But while the reaction by the Kiwi press is expected, it is interesting to note the stand Woodward has taken. Particularly in defending Shaw as a clean player - despite the big Wasps lock being involved in more than one off the ball incident in Dunedin.

Woodward was quick to condemn the Springboks as thugs after lock Jannes Labuschagne was red-carded for a late tackle on fly-half Jonny Wilkinson at Twickenham in 2002.

England went on to win the game 53-3 and the England coach went on a tirade over the Bok's inclination for foul play - it is a stigma that the South African team have been forced to live with for some time.

But Woodward has had little to say about his own side's behaviour in New Zealand - other than looking for ways to defend them.

By Rob Peters