Cheats.

Things are heating up ahead of the second Test between France and the All Blacks this weekend with flanker Kevin Gourdon branding the back-to-back world champions as ‘cheats.’

New Zealand have come under fire this weekend after prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi and flanker Sam Cane escaped punishment for a brutal tackle on France’s Remy Grosso that resulted in a double skull fracture.

Gourdon said the All Blacks tended to get the rub of the green from referees “because they win all their games”.

“The All Blacks cheat, of course, but it’s certainly related to the fact they play good rugby… which has a positive effect on the referees,” added the flanker.

All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster earlier this week dismissed all notions of cheating and denied New Zealand received any favouritism from officials.

“I think if you look at the penalty counts (and) yellow cards last year, we were one of the top yellow-carded teams in the world so I’m not sure how this ‘soft on us’ comes to fruition,” he said.

France and the All Blacks clash in their 2nd of three Test this Saturday in Wellington.

[Sky Sports]