Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has denied he shares an intimate relationship with team business manager Di Patston and doesn't believe his position in charge of the Australian side has been compromised.
Australian rugby is in turmoil amid two investigations into alleged misbehaviour by star player Kurtley Beale towards Patston.
Reports suggest the crisis has divided the Wallabies playing group and that McKenzie has lost support amongst his squad.
Rumours circulating the internet have suggested McKenzie is in a relationship with Patston, who he employed to tour with the team.
However at an intense press conference in Sydney on Friday, a visibly shaken McKenzie insisted his relationship with Patston was purely professional when asked if he was intimate with her.
"I've got a professional relationship with her. And I refute that. There are people out there and that there's some sort of campaign to impugn that's (not) the situation," McKenzie said.
"I've got a professional relationship with her and I refute that.
"I don't believe her appointment has caused angst."
McKenzie was on hand to announce his 32-man squad to face the All Blacks in the third Bledisloe next Saturday in Brisbane, but instead the focus of a gruelling press conference was on his integrity as Wallabies coach.
Beale is unlikely to play for Australia again after being suspended indefinitely for sending offensive text messages about Patston to members of the squad back in June, which inadvertently found their way to Patston.
There is a separate investigation into Beale having a midair confrontation with Patston en route from South Africa to Argentina.
McKenzie responded to reports that he knew about the inappropriate text messages, which contain lewd pictures, back in June - claiming he only became aware of the messages last week in Buenos Aires.
Since returning prematurely from the overseas tour, Patston has gone on indefinite stress leave.
The Wallabies coach doesn't believe he's lost his dressing room.
"I don't think I have a divided camp. I know there's been lots of talk in the newspapers and everyone's got an opinion, but I know the playing group," he said.
"I've been open and frank in my time so if there's an issue, obviously we'll flesh them out.
"I became aware of the existence of the text messages in Buenos Aires. I know the content, I haven't seen the photos.
"When I became aware of it I forwarded the information on, then she obviously left because of stress and the way she felt about the environment and then it was left to the integrity unit as we advised at the time."
