Herald Classics: 1999 RWC exit - You've turned All Blacks into a bunch of softies

By Chris Rattue

Front row hard man Richard Loe blames New Zealand's rugby bosses, their judicial system and John Hart for the All Blacks' failure to deal with French violence in the World Cup semifinal.

The All Blacks claim they were head-butted, eye-gouged and had their testicles attacked during the match at Twickenham.

Loe said administrators like New Zealand Rugby Football Union board member Tim Gresson - the IRB's disciplinary committee chairman - had helped to turn New Zealand players soft.

But while Loe said he would have used strong-arm tactics to quell the French, a former All Black captain, Sir Brian Lochore, who was at the match, said the side should have upped their aggression in a legal manner.

Loe, a 49-test prop, understood why the All Black forwards failed to "meet fire with fire" in the stunning defeat, although he said he would not have been able to resist hitting back.

Loe, who was found guilty of some villainous acts in his playing days, said players lived in fear of being suspended and losing vast amounts of money in the process.

"My last little indiscretion was giving poor old Richard Fromont a bit of a backhander and that cost me $15,000 in fines or lost wages or whatever they wanted to call it," Loe said from his Canterbury farm.

He said the Super 12 and NPC judicial systems suspended players for incidents which should have been left on the field, effectively turning the New Zealand players soft.

"I know for a fact that there are players in that team like Robin Brooke who have got the necessary mongrel," Loe said. "It's a grey area, but our forwards just aren't hard enough any more.

"But I can partly understand why they didn't do anything with John Hart as the coach. Their careers could be ruined.

"When [Hart] was commentating and I was still playing, he openly said that he'd never select Richard Loe.

"He said he'd never have players of that nature in his team. That sums it up. Someone said after the recent netball series that netball was getting more like rugby, and rugby was getting more like netball. I think that's right.

"If past All Blacks had their nuts pulled then someone would have got a big uppercut to the jaw or behind the ear.

"That would have stopped it. But when a team see their opponents are being put off, they'll keep doing it.

"It's the same as this tackle-ball rule. If you could ruck like they used to then players wouldn't lie in the back of rucks all the time and stop the ball coming out.

"It's ridiculous the things players are getting sent to the judicial committee for and being suspended for. Head-butting and punching are not part of the game but if it happens, so be it. I've never seen anyone seriously hurt by it.

"John Mitchell and Buck Shelford didn't get those ears of theirs from being punched. It was from scrummaging - and they were only No 8s. Next thing they'll ban scrums.

"I come from a line of players - Skinner, Meads and so on - who played the game because it was physical, not to be PC. Mr Rutherford [the next NZRFU chief David Rutherford] should go down to the local hardware store and get a very big broom and do a big sweep through the place."

Loe, who played four club seasons in France, said the French players had always used tactics such as head-butting and would continue to do so.

His French club even had a couple of "sacrificial lambs" who dealt to troublesome opponents, with no fears about being sent off.

But Sir Brian said: "As everyone knows, you can do a lot more when you're angry. The All Blacks should have upped their aggression in taking the ball up and in their tackles.

"It is very hard for me to comment on things I didn't see. But the All Blacks didn't have enough energy and passion. If they were taking that game lightly I am quite staggered. You can't afford to look a game ahead when you're in a World Cup semifinal. We were well beaten by forwards who played with more aggression. It's very disappointing from New Zealand's point of view, although it was a great game."

Sir Brian was involved in a famous incident at Athletic Park in 1968 when he told referee John Pring he would "set my blokes loose, so to speak" if the official did not sort out underhand French tactics.

But Sir Brian, the Hillary Commission chairman, said times had changed, and the way now was to get angry in a legal way and for match officials to be more vigilant.