The All Blacks are not thugs and captain Tana Umaga would never deliberately maim anyone, coach Graham Henry said on Tuesday, showing frustation at the ongoing ”sideshow” over the tackle that dislocated the shoulder of the Lions captain in the first rugby Test.
Henry accused British ”spin doctors” of trying to keep the incident on the boil to divert the focus away from the match last Saturday where the All Blacks thrashed the British and Irish Lions 21-3.
O’Driscoll’s tour ended in the first minute of the Test when he was hurled to the ground in a double tackle by Umaga and All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu.
The Lions claimed it was an illegal spear tackle, but the independent citing commissioner, South African Willem Venter, said the video evidence was inconclusive.
Henry said the commotion surrounding the incident had got to Umaga, a former winner of an international fair play award for helping out injured Welsh forward Colin Charvis two years ago.
”He’s upset about it, as you would be. He has shown a lot of remorse in the past for people who have been in those situations,” Henry said.
”He’s a top professional and realises he needs to move on. He’s got a lot of sympathy for Brian but he realises he’s got a responsibility for the team he leads and he’s getting on with the job.”
Henry expressed disappointment that reaction to the tackle continued to fester, and said ”spin doctors are working overtime to try and distract attention away from the game, which is a bit disappointing.
”Our guys are pretty focused to play rugby and I think they understand what the sideshow’s about.”
Henry said he had not analysed the incident closely.
”But [for it] to be considered a deliberate act is ridiculous. That is a bit irritating for the All Blacks team and the captain of the team,” he said.
”There’s no way that All Blacks players go out to maim opposition … never have done as far as my memory is concerned, don’t do it now.
”I don’t know if that’s the case for all teams playing around the world,” he said, perhaps in reference to Lions lock Danny Grewcock who was suspended for two months for biting Mealamu in the Test. – Sapa-AFP