Kevin Yates, suspended by Bath for the alleged ear-biting incident last weekend, has pleaded "total innocence" to England coach Clive Woodward. Yates volunteered to stand down from England's squad session yesterday realising it would cause major disruption with the intense media interest.

But Woodward leapt to the defence of the absent prop, stressing that he had not been dropped from the England squad.

"As far as I am concerned he (Yates) is still in the England squad until he is proved guilty, though he is not here today," said Woodward.

After three days investigation by London Scottish and Bath the finger was finally pointed at twice-capped prop Yates.

He is suspended pending further inquiries into the episode that cost Simon Fenn a chunk of his ear lobe, 25 stitches and possible plastic surgery.

If the evidence against Yates is finally conclusive the RFU would ban him from all rugby, which means that England's management would need to take no action.

Woodward was incensed that Victor Ubogu was in the second citing by London Scottish, who had originally cited the entire Bath pack before homing in on the front row.

Yates was on the bench for the Test against New Zealand last month and will almost certainly have gone to Paris for England's Five Nations opener in February as back-up to Jason Leonard and Darren Garforth.