Problems mount for Johnson as trio of players are forced to apologise to hotel worker

Furious and frustrated in equal measure, Martin Johnson has been forced to reprimand three players as he battles to keep England’s Rugby World Cup campaign on course.

England’s qualification for the quarter-finals has been overshadowed by more lurid off-the-field headlines, which have once again tarnished the team’s image.

Johnson confirmed yesterday that James Haskell, Dylan Hartley and Chris Ashton had been made to formally apologise to a Dunedin hotel worker after she was reportedly teased with lewd comments.

The England manager has decided not to discipline Mike Tindall, despite fresh revelations that had not told whole truth about his now-infamous night out in Queenstown.

All of that follows last week’s “ballgate” scandal, when England were found to have illegally switched balls in the game against Romania, but avoided a potential points deduction after banning two members of Johnson’s backroom team.

And on top of everything else, Delon Armitage could be banned for a “dangerous high tackle” after being cited, and Johnson is concerned Jonny Wilkinson may have suffered a tournament-ending arm injury. The stand-off appeared to be in immediate pain after suffering a blow to the arm in a tackle and he was replaced five minutes from time. There will be no medical update until today.

But it is the conduct of some England players off the field that may concern Johnson the most – and it certainly concerns the Rugby Football Union the most. The RFU invest a great deal of time and resources in educating the squad about the potential pitfalls of their celebrity status at a World Cup.

Johnson insists there are no more skeletons waiting to be discovered in the closet, but there are strong rumours to the contrary.

“I don’t know what else you do,” said a Rugby Football Union source. “That is Martin’s frustration – how much more have we got to do with them?”

According to the Sunday Mirror, Annabel Newton, 23, said the three England players “treated me with no respect” after she was called into a hotel room to retrieve her walkie-talkie.

“I was angry with them. It is just the sort of thing we have talked about,” said Johnson. “When you are at a World Cup you can regard yourself as being in a little bit of a bubble at times.

“The way they speak to each other and amongst the group is different. They’re a group of young men. They need to understand that’s not always the way you handle yourself when you’re speaking with other people.

“What they thought was humour and a light-hearted exchange has clearly not been taken that way by Annabel, the girl involved. At the time they apologised when they realised they had stepped over the mark. They had no idea how upset she subsequently became.

“We were in Queenstown for a few days. When we returned I spoke to the hotel manager, apologised to him for the disturbance we had caused to him and his staff. The guys formally apologised. They were shocked when they understood how upset she had become.

“We investigated the facts fully. They have been disciplined. They have been reprimanded for their behaviour and left in no doubt. If you leave yourself open for these headlines to be written it drags us all into it and that is what makes me particularly angry.

“It’s not where we want to be. We’ve just fought through with huge character to win a place in the quarter-finals. That’s a positive and on the Sunday we’re talking about three guys, all of whom played well yesterday, overstepping the mark and there’s a story in a national newspaper.”

The incident reportedly occurred in the days before England moved from Dunedin to Queenstown, where Tindall and a number of players enjoyed a night out.

According to the Mail on Sunday, a spokesman for Tindall said the rugby star “apologises unreservedly” after initially denying claims he had gone to a second bar with the blonde woman he was seen with on CCTV.

Johnson said any misleading information Tindall gave as to his whereabouts that night was a simple mistake and not a cover-up.

Asked whether he would consider sending Tindall home, Johnson added: “There was a video tape in the public domain at the time so what reason would he have to lie about it? I think he just got it wrong in terms of his whereabouts. He’s got his recollections wrong and he has apologised for that.”

Before the squad left for New Zealand, Johnson said he would not ban alcohol or impose curfews, but he warned his squad to be mindful of their conduct during the World Cup.

“They are there to make sensible decisions. If I can’t trust them, there is a simple choice for us to make,” he said at the time.

Johnson yesterday insisted he still can: “They have to come and play for England so I have to trust them.”

It is understood the RFU are supportive of Johnson’s attempts to manage the off-field disciplinary issues, but senior officials from Twickenham have remained steadfast in their silence.

Johnson is happy with that arrangement. “It’s my team. I’ve got to take the responsibility. I’ve let them [Twickenham] know. It’s just the way I’ve decided to handle it. They don’t tell me what to do,” he said.

With regards to Wilkinson, the England fly-half had a scan on his right forearm which proved inconclusive and Johnson hopes to know more tomorrow about his availability to face France.