Sir Clive feels the heat over comments

England coach Clive Woodward could be in trouble over his comments following his team's second Test loss to the All Blacks in June after the International Rugby Board (IRB) requested the RFU to investigate Woodward's criticism of match referee Nigel Williams and touch judge Stuart Dickinson.

Woodward tore into both match officials at the post-match press conference after England lock Simon Shaw was sent off early in the game for using his knee on ABs second rower Keith Robinson.

Shaw was red-carded for the incident by Williams, on the advice of Dickinson, who was standing on the far side of the field, but Woodward felt that the Australian was influenced by a partisan New Zealand crowd at Eden Park.  

"It was ridiculous and sticks in the throat. The touch judge acted a bit quick with 50,000 people shouting off," raged Woodward.

"This was a big, big call by the touch judge from so far away. It ruined the game. I asked Simon Shaw what he thought and he said it was absolute bullshit."

But unfortunately for Woodward the press conference was televised and the tape found its way into the hands of the IRB, courtesy of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU).

IRB Chief Executive Mike Miller is reportedly set to contact his RFU counterpart Francis Baron over the incident and Miller is expected to point out that Woodward had breached the IRB's code of conduct.

Regulation 17 of the code states that "persons" should accept and observe the decisions of referees and touch judges and that coaches and players are prohibited from "publishing or cause to be published criticism of the manner in which a referee or touch judge handled a match".