All Blacks captain Tana Umaga has been in touch with Lions opposite Brian O’Driscoll after the first Test incident on Saturday which left the Irish centre with a dislocated shoulder, ending his rugby tour of New Zealand.
The New Zealand Rugby Union confirmed on Wednesday that Umaga and O’Driscoll had exchanged voicemail messages but made no comment on the tone or content of those messages.
O’Driscoll had previously accused Umaga of causing his injury in an off-the-ball spear tackle which, he said, was ”unnecessary and outside the rules and regulations of the game”.
He said the action amounted to deliberate foul play and he accused Umaga of a ”cheap shot”.
Fallout over the incident continued on Tuesday when All Blacks coach Graham Henry named his team for the second Test at Wellington on Saturday. Henry’s efforts to concentrate on the team announcement failed as he faced a further grilling over Umaga’s action and his apparent lack of remorse.
Henry insisted Umaga had expressed remorse at a news conference immediately after the Christchurch Test and continued to feel sympathy for O’Driscoll.
”He’s got a genuine concern for those sort of things, which I think most sportsmen have,” Henry said.
”He was disappointed at the reaction but he’s a top professional and realises he needs to focus on the game, draw a line in the sand and move on,” he added.
And Henry signaled the All Blacks want to put the controversy behind them as they prepare for the second Test.
”Our attitude hasn’t changed. Our attitude is that we had sympathy for the player, for Brian and his predicament,” he said.
”I just think we are getting caught up in something that is past. The spin doctors are working overtime to distract attention away from the game. It’s disappointing, but we need to move on.”
The focus of British attacks on Umaga has moved since the Test from the first accusation of foul play to a suggestion his failure to speak with O’Driscoll at the time of his injury or since was a breach of courtesy.
According to the New Zealand Rugby Union, Umaga asked them on Sunday morning to approach Lions management for O’Driscoll’s cellphone number.
O’Driscoll then rang Umaga, leaving a voicemail message, and Umaga returned his call, leaving a message on O’Driscoll’s voicemail. – Sapa-AP