The tremors from Anton Oliver’s controversial biography continued on Friday with ex-coach Laurie Mains accusing the former All Black captain of dumping on his teammates.
In his biography released this week, Oliver described the tensions in the Super 12 Otago Highlander team coached by Mains, saying there would have been a player revolt if the ”manipulative” and ”petty” Mains had not left at the end of the 2003 season.
The book also says binge drinking was part of the All Blacks culture until recently. The situation ”spiralled dangerously out of control” during the period when John Mitchell was coach from 2001 until after the 2003 World Cup, Oliver claimed.
Mains, who coached the All Blacks from 1992 to 1995, said on Friday he was staggered by some of what Oliver had said about the All Blacks.
”What happens on tour stays on tour. Teams come off the field emotionally drained and it’s perfectly normal for rugby teams — occasionally — to have a few beers together,” he told Radio Live.
”That sort of thing should not be in the public eye and nor should it be made public.
”The guy has just dumped on his own teammates and probably on the ethos of All Blacks rugby.
”I think it’s a measure of him rather than a measure of the people he’s been critical of.”
Mitchell has also rejected the accusations of binge drinking in the team he coached, saying alcohol consumption was controlled.
Mains said sections of Oliver’s book about events at the Highlanders were wrong.
”If he’d stuck with the facts fairly represented I wouldn’t have said anything but I don’t appreciate having the facts misrepresented that reflect on me as a person. It’s just below the belt, really.”
Mains, who first selected Oliver in the All Blacks in 1995, criticised Oliver’s performance as captain for 10 tests in 2001.
”The All Blacks captaincy didn’t do him any favours. He wasn’t successful with that and took all the burdens on the field and off the field on to his own shoulders,” he said. – AFP
