Woodward - wants cash given to Samoa.

By Andrew Baldock, PA Sport Rugby Union Correspondent, Brisbane

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Clive Woodward has urged rugby's rulers to hand England's £10,000 World Cup fine to cash-strapped Samoa.

Woodward has revealed his "immense" respect for Samoan coaches John Boe and Michael Jones following last weekend's Dan Luger 16th-man saga in Melbourne.

And he paid a glowing tribute to the South Sea Islanders following an affair that saw England fined a five-figure sum and squad fitness adviser Dave Reddin receive a two-game touchline ban.

Reddin, though, was cleared of a post-match altercation with fourth official, New Zealander Steve Walsh, by independent Rugby World Cup judicial officer Brian McLaughlin at a hearing in Sydney on Thursday night.

But fall-out from that incident continued on Friday when World Cup chiefs imposed a three-day ban on Walsh, meaning that he could not act as a touch judge in the Pool B fixture between France and the USA at Wollongong's WIN Stadium on Friday night, local time.

"They (Samoa) have been outstanding," said head coach Woodward, following his return to England's Gold Coast training base from Sydney on Friday.

"They were outstanding before we played them, and my respect for them, especially their coaches John Boe and Michael Jones, is immense.

"Their line is that they didn't want anything to tarnish what was a great game of rugby. They were clearly being put under a fair amount of pressure to say something, and they wouldn't have anything to do with it.

"They said that it was a storm in a teacup, and England had probably done what many other teams had done, but they didn't want to be involved.

"So my thanks goes to them. That is what what World Cups are about, supporting other teams, and I hope the International Rugby Board hands over the £10,000 to the Samoan Rugby Union, because I think they deserve it more than any other team I have seen here so far."

England received a relatively mild financial punishment over the Luger 16th-man saga, although Reddin's penalty for sending Luger on to the field against fifth official Brett Bowden's instructions was marginally greater.

While touchline bans are commonplace in soccer, such is the unusual nature of the sanction in rugby union, that it has not yet been confirmed whether Reddin will be allowed to carry out his customary pre-match warm-up with England's players before the next two games against Uruguay, on Sunday, and probably Wales.

Within 30 minutes of being informed of the verdict, the England camp confirmed they would accept their punishment.

They also expressed their their delight that Reddin had been cleared of being involved in an altercation with fourth official Walsh.

Walsh has now been suspended until Monday morning, although RWC stressed that he would be available for post-pool stage appointments.

"Following an incident involving the fourth official, Mr Steve Walsh, and a member of the England management team at the conclusion of the England versus Samoa match on Sunday, October 26, an investigation has taken place today," said RWC, in a statement.

"Mr Walsh has subsequently been suspended for inappropriate behaviour during an exchange with a member of the England management team.

"He is suspended from 1400 Friday, October 31, 2003, until 0900 on Monday, November 3.

"It is recognised that the event occurred during a particularly difficult situation."

Woodward said that Reddin would sit in the stands at Suncorp Stadium for this weekend's Pool C finale.

"I am going to ask him (Reddin) to sit quietly in the stand, and I think that is the right course of events for this weekend," added Woodward.

"He will arrive with the team, and just watch the game from the stands, and we will use other people to do the touchline and the other things that Dave does during the game. It is for two games, and we move on.

"I am just glad that the whole matter is over. It has been a distraction.

"Some serious allegations were made against the team and myself, and we have now got to put a line under it, which we fully intend to do. This is not going to get in the way of our preparations, particularly the next game, which is only 48 hours away.

"It was an extremely fair hearing. I have to say that Brian McLaughlin conducted it in an exemplary fashion. In fact, from the moment we arrived in Sydney, things were handled very well and I have no complaints at all.

"Obviously, all sorts of things can happen in a World Cup. That is why I brought a lawyer with me.

"I think we have taken it in our stride and handled it very, very well. We have a very strong group of people here, and I have spoken to the team, and with Martin Johnson especially, and I made it very clear that this was not meant to distract them.

"I had to handle this, along with Richard Smith, our lawyer, and I think we have handled it well.

"The outcome is fair, and it has just been a minor distraction, no more than that. But these were serious allegations, and again I think that we have handled it well and the Rugby World Cup has handled it well.

"What happened last Sunday night will not happen again. We made an error, we have learnt from it, and we are looking forward to the rest of the World Cup."