Wynne Gray's 50 greatest rugby moments: No.46

All Black captain Taine Randell at the unveiling of the special All Blacks 747. Photo / Ross Setford

Anton Oliver abhorred drug cheats.

But here he was, facing a three months ban when he failed a drugs test after the team landed in the UK for the start of the 1999 World Cup.

It was a distraction for the All Blacks and a tasty lead for the global media who had grown a little bored feasting for months on drug allegations about England loose-forward Lawrence Dallaglio.

This was the second gaffe for the All Blacks after captain Taine Randell had posed in front of a newly-painted Boeing 747 adorned with the national front-row. Embarassingly, no-one had checked where the tight-head and loose-head props should be positioned.

In all the marketing and public relations brouhaha which accompanied a mega-deal with adidas centred on a new tight-fitting jersey with grip pads, someone forgot to check the 11m high image painted on the plane.

The flying billboard made a significant impact but not the way it was intended.

All Black captain Taine Randell at the unveiling of the special All Blacks 747. Photo / Ross Setford

There was more. The All Blacks had agreed to film a documentary featuring Rachel Hunter meeting with the side, shopping with the wives, enjoying the sights and travelling in their bus to the final in Cardiff but after the shock semifinal defeat that project was canned.

After the All Blacks touched down at Heathrow and bussed to their first hotel they were met by the UK Drugs Sports Agency who wanted to test the squad.

Team doctor John Mayhew argued they should be allowed one night to recover from their long journey, unaware that Oliver would confuse the recommended dose to combat his sinus and ear infection.

The hooker took an extra tablet thinking it would speed up his recovery and the next day tested positive for pseudoephedrine.

Oliver fronted a media conference where he admitted his cavalier self-treatment and was devastated at the thought of being banned for his lapse. He escaped with a warning but could not rid himself of the feeling he had damaged the team's reputation.

Those concerns affected his game and he became ultra-sensitive that people thought he was a drug cheat and struggled to get some balance and stability back into his game.