Rugby: Scots will face wrath of All Blacks

Keven Mealamu. Photo / Getty Images

You almost pity the Scots.

An All Black team defeated in Hong Kong and left frustrated for long periods at Twickenham now enter Murrayfield with a chip on their shoulders after one of their teammates was suspended for four weeks.

New Zealand have been left embittered by the inconsistencies of rugby's judiciary after hooker Keven Mealamu's Grand Slam tour effectively ended yesterday.

The 82-test veteran received a four-week ban after a hearing in Glasgow in front of judicial officer Lorne Crerar. The All Blacks have indicated they will appeal against the sentence within the mandatory 48 hours.

Mealamu arrived back in Edinburgh in a taxi with assistant coach Steve Hansen and cut a disconsolate figure as he entered the team hotel.

"I'm gutted, to be honest, really disappointed," Mealamu said.

"I don't feel the outcome shows what sort of person I am. I've played more than 100 Super games and 82 tests and never had any foul play against me."

In this part of the world Mealamu's reputation is not so clean cut, the hangover from his involvement in the tackle that ended Lions skipper Brian O'Driscoll's 2005 test series after just two minutes.

Mealamu said he felt as if the sentence was a personal insult.

"I do take it personally. I'm not that sort of person."

Mealamu was charged under Law 10.4 (a) - which states that a player must not strike an opponent with the fist or arm, including the elbow, shoulder, head or knees - when appearing to headbutt England captain Lewis Moody at a ruck.

Mealamu was represented by the New Zealand Rugby Union's British-based lawyer Owen Eastwood and Hansen.

Professor Crerar judged that it was an intentional act of foul play and determined eight weeks, a mid-range entry point in the IRB list of sanctions, was an appropriate suspension.

However mitigating factors, including Mealamu's conduct at the hearing and his clean disciplinary record, saw that reduced to four weeks.

Unless the appeal succeeds, which is considered highly unlikely, he will not be available for rugby again until December 5, a week after the end of the tour.

"We're obviously really disappointed, but there's not a lot we can say because we've got 48 hours to appeal it," Hansen said.

While the All Black camp maintained Mealamu's innocence, they would have found more comfort accepting his fate had England's replacement hooker Dylan Hartley been charged with the same offence after appearing to strike Richie McCaw with his forearm.

McCaw said he was unpleasantly "surprised" no action had been taken against the New Zealand-born hooker.

"I guess I am," McCaw said. "I'd be silly to say I wasn't surprised but I guess the guy who makes those decisions saw it a different way and there's no point me going on and moaning about it because it's not going to do me any good.

"If there's anything that frustrates players with the judiciary it is just consistency. If you get that you can live with it but when it's not like that it gets a bit annoying."

While not necessarily subscribing to any conspiracy theory, McCaw was perplexed that the team seem to be treated differently in the north than during the Tri-Nations.

Last year Dan Carter faced the judiciary in Milan and was suspended for the Italy test after a high tackle on Welshman Martin Roberts.

The week before, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Tony Woodcock were handed one-match bans for foul play in the final Bledisloe Cup match in Tokyo. "Whenever we come up here we seem to have an issue with it. Anything that's remotely borderline gets cited," McCaw said.

Mealamu's suspension will see Hika Elliot almost certainly promoted to start his first test, while Andrew Hore will return to the bench after a six-month lay-off following a dislocated shoulder.

Scotland coach Andy Robinson yesterday named his team with five changes to the side who beat Argentina recently, including Mike Blair back at halfback and captain.

New Zealand name their side today, though the changes have been well signalled. Isaia Toeava is likely to find a spot on the wing, Conrad Smith returning while Sonny Bill Williams moves in a place.

Liam Messam is likely to start at blindside flanker.


SCOTLAND v ALL BLACKS

Murrayfield, 6.15am Sunday

Hugo Southwell
Rory Lamont
Max Evans
Graeme Morrison
Sean Lamont
Dan Parks
Mike Blair (c)
Richie Vernon
John Barclay
Kelly Brown
Jim Hamilton
Richie Gray
Euan Murray
Ross Ford
Allan Jacobsen

Reserves:
Scott Lawson, Alasdair Dickinson, Nathan Hines, Ross Rennie, Rory Lawson, Ruaridh Jackson, Nikki Walker.