Host nation allegedly broke rule forbidding coaches approaching match officials during a match or at half-time.
England are under investigation for an alleged breach of the World Cup match-day communication protocol during their 33-13 defeat by Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, World Rugby have confirmed.
The protocol prohibits certain conduct on match days including coaches approaching match officials during a game or at half-time.
It is thought that the incident under investigation occurred at half-time when England were trailing 17-3 and members of Stuart Lancaster’s coaching team are reported to have spoken to officials in contravention of regulations, with the exchange captured on CCTV footage.
Approaching match officials at half-time is forbidden to prevent coaches having an undue influence on their decision-making.
The investigation is expected to be completed before the pool match against Uruguay in Manchester on Saturday and, if any England coaches are ruled to have acted improperly, the sanction is likely to be a warning. Michael Cheika received a formal warning from the Super Rugby governing body, Sanzar, this year after an investigation into the Australia head coach approaching the referee Jaco Peyper during his New South Wales Waratahs’ victory against Auckland Blues in Sydney in March.
The England investigation arrives with the Rugby Football Union reeling from the defeat against the Wallabies that ensured Lancaster’s side will exit at the pool stages, the worst performance by a host nation in Rugby World Cup history.
England already face a possible fine for their failure to fulfil media obligations for the mixed zone after the defeat by the Wallabies, sending just two players for interviews instead of the mandatory 10.
And on Monday Sam Burgess, the England centre, received a warning from the independent citing commissioner, Steve Hinds (New Zealand), for a dangerous high tackle on Michael Hooper in the 71st minute on Saturday night.
England’s early exit from the World Cup has dropped the tournament hosts down to eighth in the world rankings, equalling their lowest-ever position.
Lancaster’s side went into the 2015 tournament as second favourites, but were drawn in the toughest of the four pools, dubbed by the Wales head coach, Warren Gatland, as the “group of hell” because it included three of the top-ranked sides in the world.
England were last ranked as low as eighth in Mar 2009 when, under Martin Johnson’s tenure, they lost five tests in four months.
World Rugby has also announced that Hooper has been cited by Hinds for allegedly “charging into a ruck or maul without use of the arms or grasping the player”.
Hooper will now face a disciplinary hearing in London on Tuesday. The alleged incident happened just before half-time when Hooper smashed into the England full-back Mike Brown.
Hooper played a pivotal role in setting up a Pool A decider against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday and it would be a major setback to Cheika’s Wallabies if he receives a suspension.
Sanctions for charging range from a two-week ban at the lower end of the scale, through to five weeks if it is classed as mid-range, or 10 weeks and above if viewed as a top-end offence.
