LONDON: Renowned England-baiter David Campese waded into the row Thursday over how many Red Rose players should be in the British and Irish Lions squad for the tour of Australia.

England may be the only side in the ongoing Six Nations Championship who can complete a Grand Slam, having so far backed up their shock victory over world champions New Zealand, in December.

But despite the change in their on and off-field performance since a wretched 2011 World Cup campaign in New Zealand, Lions boss Warren Gatland this week stirred a hornets nest this week by suggesting that having too many England players in the combined side could create a media “circus”.

Although the New Zealander has since insisted he was misinterpreted, Wallaby great Campese seized on Gatland’s comments with the same alacrity the former wing showed in scoring 64 tries in 101 Tests for Australia.

“The relationship between Australia and the Poms (English) is as it’s always been. Mate, you’ve got to sledge (verbally abuse) — everyone hates the Poms!,” Campese told Thursday’s edition of Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

“They win one game (against New Zealand) and all we hear is ‘they are the best team in the world, they’re going to win the World Cup, they’re going to do this, this and this’.

“One game doesn’t make you world beaters.”