Lawrence Dallaglio was labelled "a complete prat" by his national coach Clive Woodward yesterday but will be invited to fly out to Australia to join up with the England squad inside the next three weeks unless the Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel decides he is guilty of something more serious.
A three-man RFU panel is due to meet News of the World representatives today as the first step in its investigation into hotly denied allegations that Dallaglio took and supplied illegal drugs, the central issue being the context and tone of Dallaglio's secretly recorded comments.
His press conference at Twickenham, in which he did admit experimenting with drugs in his late teens, was something of a letdown for those awaiting a detailed explanation as to why he decided to tell extravagant lies to undercover journalists posing as potential sponsors.
Woodward, though, is among several individuals, including officials of the RFU and his club Wasps, who have listened to a fuller account and believe Dallaglio's version of events.
"He has been stupid but that's not a reason to hang someone," said Woodward, revealing the player had been staying at his house over the past two days. "He ended up round a table with a couple of people who he thought were agents working for Gillette. They had a lot to drink and led him up the line talking about drugs, and he just started bragging and saying things over a few drinks he is going to live to regret.
"He has dropped everybody right in it, especially himself. He's been a complete prat and been totally naive. That's not something I would expect from an England captain but it's not something you ruin a guy's life for."
Woodward is all in favour of the inquiry and called for the News of the World "to co-operate totally . . . and come clean as Lawrence has done so that we don't ruin a young man's life in vain". He also made it clear, however, what he thinks the outcome should be.
"I hope Lawrence will join us in Australia very quickly once these allegations are proved to be unfounded. He is keen to get back playing for England . . . my priority is to make sure we get Lawrence back playing as quickly as possible.
"I think he has suffered enough. We should look after him and let him get on with his life. I would have no hesitation in saying get on the next plane, as long as his partner Alice is happy with that as well."
Woodward, whose squad depart tonight for Australia, also anticipates Dallaglio's World Cup place will be unaffected and surprisingly revealed he had consulted the outgoing skipper before choosing Leicester's Martin Johnson as England's new captain.
A similarly supportive attitude exists at Wasps, who have offered their player and his family "100 per cent support". Nigel Melville, the club's director of rugby, said he could just about understand but could not condone Dallaglio's drug-taking in his youth.
"He's not the first or the last, so I'm led to believe. I obviously led a very sheltered childhood," said Melville, who promised that Wasps officials would help the RFU inquiry in any way they could and said the club would accept its eventual findings.
"If he tested positive while playing rugby, which is not the case, I think it would be a two-year-ban. Probably the only area is whether, under RFU regulations, he has brought the game into disrepute."
The panel will comprise two members of the RFU Council, Bob Rogers and Alan Stevens, headed by Sir John Kay, a high court judge since 1992. Sex, lies and videotape may represent familiar ground for News of the World executives but, for the RFU, "Lolgate" is already something well outside their normal experience.
Few would question Woodward's assertion that Dallaglio showed courage in fronting up yesterday but his refusal to identify the type of drugs he was once involved in, his dead bat when asked to comment on the sexual allegations made against him and the decision of his management representative to cut short the press conference cost him a scattering of votes among the massed media jury.
"I won't lie to anyone any more," he promised. "I don't know of any of my colleagues who have ever taken drugs. Rugby has given me everything. If allowed I would dearly love to resume my career. I would like to rebuild people's confidence in me as a player and a person."
Judging on the admissable evidence so far and the overall tone of the radio phone-ins, the majority of England rugby supporters seem prepared to give him the benefit of doubt until told otherwise.
Meanwhile, The drug test undergone by Dallaglio on Monday has proved negative. Terry Burwell, the RFU's Operations Director, said: "Lawrence took the test in accordance with UK Sports Council specifications at Castlecroft and a full sample analysis was carried out. The negative result has been communicated to him."
Dallaglio's England teammate Jeremy Guscott was yesterday sent for trial over an alleged road-rage incident. Magistrates at Bath committed the 33-year-old Bath captain to stand trial at Bristol Crown Court and ordered him to appear on July 9th.
During a three-minute appearance before the bench Guscott, married with two daughters, spoke only to confirm his name and address. He is on conditional bail, accused of assaulting Kenneth Jones, causing him grievous bodily harm in an incident in Broad Street, Bath, on April 29th.
