WORCESTER Warriors director of rugby Gary Gold hasn’t contacted England’s camp to ask for the release of centre Ben Te’o.

The powerful Te’o is involved in an England training camp until Friday as they prepare for their crucial RBS 6 Nations game against Scotland a week on Saturday (4pm).

Warriors are gearing up their biggest game of the season – Sunday’s Aviva Premiership relegation showdown against Bristol at Sixways (3pm).

Some Sixways supporters had hoped Te’o would head back to Warriors after the England camp to play a part against basement boys Bristol.

But Gold insisted: “England are in the middle of a Six Nations and Ben is one of their star players.

“I am quite sure Eddie Jones wouldn’t be interested in Worcester’s plight at the moment.

“I wouldn’t even phone.”

Te’o marked his first start for England with a try and an assist in their hard-fought 36-15 win against Italy.

It was England’s third successive win in competition and they remain on course for back-to-back Grand Slams.

After tackling Scotland at Twickenham, England travel to Dublin to face Ireland in their final matchon Saturday, March 18 (5pm).

Former South Africa international Wynand Olivier and Jackson Willison look set to continue their promising centre partnership for Warriors.

Gold said: “The England squad are in camp at the moment and quite rightly as they go for a Grand Slam and Six Nations title.

“I don’t think I would achieve anything by even phoning (England).”

Gold, a former South Africa assistant coach, praised Italy’s tactics which saw them refuse to ruck in last Sunday’s match.

A number of England players were baffled by the strategy dubbed "the fox" by Italy head coach Conor O'Shea.

The law states that a ruck is formed “when one or more players from each team, who are on their feet, close around the ball on the ground”. If no ruck is formed there is no offside line.

England trailed 10-5 at half-time but rallied in the second half and Jones slammed the tactic and criticised referee Romain Poite for his performance.

But Gold said: “I have seen it quite a few times actually. Quite a few teams in the Premiership employ it.

“My personal opinion is the Italy coaches are realistic about the level of the player they have got through the whole team.

“Like a game of chess, they wanted to come out with a new tactic to rattle England and apart from the scoreboard, Italy won it tactically and technically.

“I don’t really care what it looks like; are we going to start moaning if teams kick the ball too much or if teams start driving from their own 22 because they don’t have good enough backs that day?”.

He continued: “It was within the laws of the game and probably a tactic to throw England off in the hope England would make mistakes."

Gold applauded Italy’s strategy to stifle England’s “lethal attacking game” which, he said, worked for a large part of the game.

“I say “well done”, embrace it and move on," said Gold.

“You (England) won the game by six tries and were a good enough team to beat them.

“They (Italy) tried something and it didn’t work.

"I am a little bit mystified as to why it’s such a storm in a tea cup."