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Gatland shoots back at Boks in a feisty pre-2nd Test TV interview

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Lions boss Warren Gatland used his pre-game UK TV interview to shoot down claims by Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick that he destroyed the dignity of the series by starting the war of words that led to Rassie Erasmus’ 62-minute monologue criticising first Test referee Nic Berry.

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Stick outlined at a media briefing on Friday that the Lions had already damaged relations prior to Erasmus’ extraordinary outburst. The Lions had raised objections to South African Marius Jonker being appointed television match official (TMO) for the first Test after New Zealander Brendon Pickerill’s travel was disrupted by the pandemic. 

Lions bosses were reportedly fearful of Jonker’s ability to maintain neutrality when officiating over his countrymen, but Stick insisted that is where all the off-field problems started in this Lions series. “Let’s go on the build-up where firstly the integrity of World Rugby was challenged by another human being when Marius Jonker was appointed TMO. Then Gatland on the other side went crazy and was asking World Rugby and challenging them about the decision they had made. 

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Lions skipper Alun Wyn Jones sidesteps the Rassie Erasmus controversy

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Lions skipper Alun Wyn Jones sidesteps the Rassie Erasmus controversy

“The fact that was publicly challenged by another coach on the other side, and still to this day I haven’t had any statement from that side apologising about it and I haven’t had any statement from World Rugby either. We’re not asking for any favours, we just want equal grounds.

“So if Rassie got into trouble because of what he said on social media, the gentleman that challenged the integrity of the game when the TMO was challenged, that is something that really destroyed the dignity of the series and also challenges the integrity of World Rugby,” insisted Stick.

Gatland was asked about Stick’s incendiary comments on Sky Sports shortly before kick-off in the second Lions Test, retorting: “To put the record straight, post-match last week I never made one comment about the TMO. We questioned World Rugby in terms of the process of not having a backup plan in terms of whether there were any replacements needed, so that was the question. 

“It wasn’t any question of integrity or anything like that. I sort of have been accused of making comments last week and before the match, I never said anything about the TMO. I am not sure how the narrative has changed from that point of view. 

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“Lookit, it is interesting. We were happy with the refereeing last week. I spoke to the referees on Thursday as we normally do in terms of having a meeting during the week and we were happy with the performances. 

“I even raised the point of something we happened to see during the week, the end-on view of Faf de Klerk’s try, you can see the ball touch (Pieter) Steph du Toit’s hand and we have never raised that, never criticised anyone over that sort of thing. It has been an interesting week with the off-field stuff.”

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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