BRIAN O’DRISCOLL finally lost patience yesterday and phoned Tana Umaga to seek an apology and to demand an explanation for the spear tackle that put him out of the Lions tour, but the New Zealand captain has failed to return his call, The Times has learnt.
O’Driscoll left a message on Umaga’s mobile phone asking to discuss the incident and the fallout that continues to blight relations between the Lions and New Zealand teams during the build-up to the crucial second game in the three-match series, in Wellington on Saturday.
Gareth Thomas, O’Driscoll’s replacement as captain, has increased the pressure before the match by telling the squad that “they [the All Blacks] hated us more [last Saturday] than we hated them. That can’t happen again.” If yesterday’s 109-6 defeat of Manawatu is a yardstick, his message has filtered through.
Umaga’s failure to phone O’Driscoll has only added to the Irishman’s sense of anger and disillusionment at his counterpart’s behaviour since the injury, which occurred 40 seconds into the first international, which was won 21-3 by the All Blacks in Christchurch.
O’Driscoll cannot understand Umaga’s reluctance to make contact, given that the pair got on well in the making of an adidas advertisement to promote the tour. “He is bewildered that he has not heard a word from Umaga and is still upset that he did not bother to see how he was when he left the field. Only Justin Marshall did,” a source said.
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Umaga’s silence has been deafening and for all Graham Henry’s attempts to draw a line in the sand and to defend his captain yesterday, the row rumbles on. The New Zealand coach, who rarely misses a trick, should have been wise enough to realise what the fallout would be and to attempt to prevent the dispute escalating. His untrue assertion that Umaga had apologised at the post-match press conference did him little credit, neither did his admittance that he had barely bothered to look at the replays of the tackle.
The All Blacks and Umaga also stood condemned by an editorial in The New Zealand Herald yesterday, as much for the incident as for their reaction to the subsequent crossfire. “It was at the very least a reckless and dangerous act,” the article read. “As such it was unbecoming of a man who won plaudits for stopping play to tend to unconscious Welsh captain Colin Charvis during a Test in Hamilton. It may even have been malicious. Although that is unlikely, we do not know and possibly never will. We do know that the tackle, the on-field aftermath and the subsequent reactions by the All Blacks bestow little credit on New Zealand rugby.”
The leader writer, who said that Umaga’s failure to check on O’Driscoll was unfathomable, concluded: “Two Tests remain in this series. As always they will be examinations of character and sportsmanship, as well as rugby prowess. It is now especially important for the good name of New Zealand rugby that the All Blacks pass all those tests.”
At yesterday’s New Zealand press conference, Steve Hansen, the New Zealand assistant coach, could not resist a jibe at Sir Clive Woodward. Asked what he thought the Lions head coach may do with his selection, Hansen said: “I am not sure what he is going to do and I am not sure he knows himself at the moment.” Henry also weighed in, saying that he was sure his counterpart had a game plan at the back of his mind.
Henry defended Umaga to the hilt. “There is no way that All Black players go out to maim opposition,” he said. “They never have done it, they don’t do it now, it’s not part of team policy. We have got high standards and we emphasise those standards. There is no way an All Black player went out deliberately to injure an opposition player.
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“We are getting caught up in something that has passed. The spin-doctors are working overtime to try to spread attention away from the game. That is disappointing. I think our blokes are focused on playing rugby.
“Our sympathy for Brian is genuine, but the players have got a job to do to concentrate on playing the best they can.”