Pool C: England's senior forwards yesterday came under fresh attack from the former All Black captain Stu Wilson, who claims some of Clive Woodward's senior players are "cheating" in an effort to outflank faster, younger opponents.

Wilson, who scored 19 tries in 34 Tests for New Zealand between 1977 and 1983, believes referees should be more alert to England's tactics at the breakdown. He accused them of excessive ball-killing during their 25-6 win over South Africa in Perth on Saturday.

"As players slow down with age they are more inclined to give away silly penalties as they try to cut corners and England looked like stunned mullets at times in Perth as the referee Peter Marshall regularly told them to stop cheating and let the ball go," said Wilson.

"One of their main offences is people lying all over the ball. Lawrence Dallaglio is the most professional cheat I've seen and a few more in the pack aren't far behind as they keep trying to bend the rules to breaking point."

The England centre Mike Tindall responded by pointing out that, like most sides, England's preferred game is based around quick ball, stressing that a contest for possession around the tackle area is legal as long as a player remains on his feet.

"There's a big difference between someone going over the ball to try and steal it and someone just lying on the wrong side and not moving," said Tindall, who agrees with the All Black coach John Mitchell that quick ball needs to be encouraged, if not by referees then by more traditional methods.

"At the moment a fair few teams are getting away with just lying there but you can't ruck them because you run the risk of getting a yellow card. We want to play fast rugby and, if that means bringing out the silver slipper again, then so be it."

France's coach Bernard Laporte, however, reckons England's defence will win them the tournament. "Defence won the last World Cup and it will be the same this time," said Laporte.

"Who has the best defence? England. The best part of their game is defence . . . It isn't boring. It's fantastic and you have to admire it."