Editorial: Tackle affair tests All Black character

Opinion

Can any winner of the Pierre de Coubertin Trophy have had such a dramatic fall from grace? Little more than six months ago, All Black captain Tana Umaga was picking up the International Committee for Fair Play's premier award at a ceremony in Athens. Today, in Ireland and beyond, he is being branded a "thug" and a "coward" for the spear tackle perpetrated by him and Keven Mealamu that dislocated the shoulder of Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll, invaliding the Irishman out of the first test and the tour.

It was, at the very least, a reckless and dangerous act. 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.

It has to be said that Sir Clive Woodward and his entourage have cried wolf in the past in this country and have exhausted patience this time by suggesting, of all things, that New Zealand players win preferential treatment, from a South African official. Where have they been for the past century?

O'Driscoll's anger seemed directed as much at the All Blacks' reaction as the tackle itself. Quite reasonably, he suggested it should have been a matter of "common courtesy" for Umaga to check on the condition of the opposing captain before he was taken by stretcher from the field. It is, indeed, unfathomable that a player of the All Black captain's reputation did not extend that courtesy. It can only be surmised that, with the game barely into its stride when the injury occurred, Umaga's judgment was clouded by adrenalin.

The Lions captain also suggested that Umaga's lack of action might have been influenced by a sense of guilt. If there was an element of mischief in that, there may also be a snippet of truth. Certainly, Umaga was, again, not keen to traverse the incident at the post-match press conference.

His cause was not helped by the like-minded attitude of the All Blacks management. The coaches must have recognised the enormity of the incident, even though, as they insisted, it had no influence on the outcome of the match. They should have come to the media conference willing to talk about it from an All Black perspective. The Lions also have an obvious cause for grievance over the curious workings of the citings commissioner. Willem Venter, of South Africa, decided that video footage of the incident was inconclusive, and then flew out of Christchurch on Sunday morning. Clearly, the Lions, and rugby followers, deserved a fuller explanation of why Umaga or Mealamu was not cited. And why Venter could leave the country so quickly.

Touch judge Andrew Cole's part in the affair was also odd. He appeared ready to draw the tackle to the referee's attention, but then opted not to. Perhaps, quite ironically, he was influenced by the distaste of the Lions coach for intervention from the sideline.

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.