Rugby: Lam defends Blues' night out after loss to Rebels

Blues coach Pat Lam. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Blues coach Pat Lam insists he is comfortable with the team's conduct despite the suggestion some of his players had a late night after their disappointing loss to the Rebels in Melbourne.

Alby Mathewson sent tweets to Rebels stars James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale throughout the night and into the early hours of the next day following the 34-23 loss.

In one tweet, Mathewson made it clear he was out socialising.

On arrival at Auckland Airport on Friday, Mathewson tweeted O'Connor: "Just landed. Me and Hobbsy aren't too flash haha."

The tweet, which made reference to teammate Michael Hobbs, has since been removed.

The decision by some of the Blues players to go out after the loss to a team who before the match were last on the table and one place below them is unlikely to impress some supporters. The Blues have had a one-win, five-loss start to the season, with few of the players performing well.

Lam's side have had discipline problems already this season, with Peter and Francis Saili suspended for two weeks for breaching a curfew in South Africa, but he said he was happy with how his players conducted themselves in Melbourne.

"I can't really comment on what has been said on Twitter because I haven't seen it, but I know after games we're no different to other teams, they'll catch up with different guys and some guys will go out and not drink and some guys will go out and have a couple of drinks," Lam said.

"All I know is that they showed up the next morning and they were fine and we had no issues." Asked whether the Blues had an alcohol policy, Lam said: "The key thing is to look after yourselves, make good choices."

Pressed on whether it was a good look for players to be out after such a disappointing loss during the season, Lam said he did not think his players would have been out late because bars closed at midnight due to Good Friday.

"I wouldn't draw too much into that. We got back to the hotel at 11 [after the game]. Everything is shut down."