England coach Martin Johnson has come out in support of some of his players after their controversial night out in Queenstown.
Various tabloid reports suggested that players were involved in ‘dwarf throwing’, and that stand-in captain Mike Tindall flirted with a blonde woman.
"The manager of the bar has said the behaviour of the players was perfectly acceptable throughout the evening," Johnson said at a press conference.
"In the pressure of a World Cup you've got to find opportunities to enjoy yourself and let off a little bit of steam.
"They worked very hard last week, produced a tough win under a lot of pressure against Argentina and it was probably the last opportunity we'll have to do anything like that on this trip."
A statement from England earlier this week said no action would be taken against the players involved, but Mike Tindall has been left out of the starting XV and won’t feature on the bench for England’s clash with Georgia on Sunday, September 18.
"Mike knows his responsibilities," Johnson said. "I don't have to talk to him about where he is. He fully understands that."
Despite criticism levelled at the team from sections of the press, Johnson said that he doesn’t believe the controversy will affect the players.
"I think it's this sort of things that brings teams closer together."
Johnson has made nine changes to his starting XV for the Pool B match against Georgia.
