KEY POINTS:
The captain of the England rugby team says the morale of players is high despite an ongoing police investigation.
Police were today expected to interview four players at the centre of misconduct allegations at an Auckland hotel at the weekend.
It is understood Auckland detectives will speak to
the players in Christchurch, where they are preparing for Saturday's second test against the All Blacks at AMI Stadium.
However, captain Steve Borthwick said that the investigation was having no impact on his team.
"I think the spirit is very high in the group," he said.
Meanwhile, English Rugby HQ is blaming the New Zealand media for what it hopes is a "storm in a teacup", reports the Telegraph.
The paper reports that officials at Twickenham said the situation has been "inflamed" by the local media "who have seized on the situation to heap further embarrassment on England following the defeat in the first Test in Auckland on Saturday."
"All the players have been allowed to travel from Auckland to Christchurch and that is an indication of what the police think about the situation," an unnamed England Rugby Football Union spokesman told the paper.
Police are investigating an incident involving England players in the Hilton Hotel early on Sunday, hours after the All Blacks won the first test 37-20.
Police have refused to comment on the incident, other than to say it was of a serious nature.
One of several women who went back to the Hilton Hotel with the England rugby players on Saturday night says team members came into their rooms and pulled duvets off the sleeping women the next morning.
Police are investigating an allegation made against up to four members of the team but haven't revealed what it is, only saying it is of a serious nature.
The alleged incident happened in a private room at the Hilton on Auckland's waterfront on Sunday after Saturday's game against the All Blacks.
A woman, who identified herself as Angel Barbie, told the Herald she was at the Hilton on Saturday night with one of the players, whom she met at the Pony Club on Customs St where he had been drinking with team-mates and members of the All Blacks.
However, the 22-year-old knew nothing of the serious allegation.
About five members of the team brought women back to their hotel rooms, Angel Barbie said.
She said that on Sunday morning the women slept in while the team went to training. When they returned, she heard a commotion coming from the hall and about four players burst into the room she was sleeping in.
She claims one pulled off her duvet, exposing her half-dressed body, and ran down the hallway with it.
"I think they were just sort of playing silly buggers and going round to all the rooms and seeing which girls were where," she said.
"They'd had swimming and physio in the morning and found out who had scored, I guess you could say.
"There was knocking on the door ... They were very persistent, they were kidding, and out of nowhere they just pulled the blanket away."
Angel Barbie said Hilton housekeeping staff told the players off and the duvet was brought back. When she asked the players to leave the room they did so immediately.
She said the incident was clearly humorous but she could "see how someone may have felt a bit violated".
One of the players had walked his female friend out to a taxi in the morning and was caught by coaches waiting downstairs who told him off for bringing a girl back, Angel Barbie said.
Police investigating the incident at the hotel wouldn't say if the allegation had been made by a female. It was made on Sunday evening but no formal complaint had been received.
Unless someone was able to confirm the allegation and back it up, it could "end up going nowhere", a spokeswoman said.
The players at the centre of the allegations were with their team in Christchurch preparing for the second test against the All Blacks while detectives worked on the case in Auckland.
The English team closed ranks at a brief press conference yesterday, despite repeated efforts by the travelling corps of English journalists to get them to open up about the incident.
Coach Rob Andrew barely looked up and only confirmed that an allegation had been made and the team were co-operating with police.
The Herald understands Richard Smith, QC, who travels with the team, will assist the players in their dealings with police.
- additional reporting: Jarrod Booker and Craig Borley
