After some magic water and help from the Welsh trainer, a wobbly Richards got to his feet and was ordered off by referee Kerry Fitzgerald -- probably the only time a player has been revived to be shown a red card.
It was the final indignity for Wales who were outplayed all over Ballymore by the All Blacks who had pace and adventure out wide and power up front as Shelford scored several pushover tries. But it was an anxious moment as Fitzgerald wandered back to talk to captain David Kirk. Fortunately for Shelford there was no second dismissal as the No 8 later revealed the referee couldn't rule on the retaliation because he had not seen the punch.
That's unlikely as Fitzgerald had a ringside view of both boxing bouts but his opinion cannot be checked as Fitzgerald collapsed and died in 1991 in his Brisbane office, six weeks after refereeing at the second World Cup.
Fitzgerald warned Shelford and accepted a touch judge's advice the All Black had acted in self-defence.
Shelford was luckier than Wallaby loosie David Codey who was sent off two days later by referee Fred Howard for his second offence after a late charge then some trampling in the Wallabies playoff loss to Wales.