Lions must roar, not whinge, says McBride
Speaking on New Zealand TV, McBride, a Lions tourist to New Zealand in 1966 and 1971, and tour manager of the 1983 trip, said: “It’s wrong,” said McBride. “We were badly beaten and I think you now have officials to deal with these things. You have to let them get on with it and don’t harp on about it. Let’s hope it’s over, it’s finished and we’re into next Saturday. Obviously we got it all wrong last week, they’ve made many changes and let’s hope it’s all a lot better this week.”
McBride’s comments fell on deaf ears yesterday when Eddie O’Sullivan was asked if there had been any communication between the two captains and used his answer to reiterate the Lions displeasure at the week’s events.
“Brian had a call and he (Umaga) just commiserated about the injury as if he had nothing to do with it, which I thought strange. So he hasn’t apologised, which is a bit upsetting.
“I think there’s two things here that Brian is upset about. One is that when he was lying on the ground injured, the New Zealand captain didn’t approach to find out how he was, which is a long tradition in rugby going back to the amateur days; and to ring up and say that he was sorry he (O’Driscoll) had got hurt without offering an apology, I think he found that disappointing too. It’s like kicking a ladder out from somebody and commiserating about an accident on a ladder. Umaga was part of that and although you can’t change what has happened, on the cold light of day I think he could have handled that better as New Zealand captain.”
O’Sullivan was then asked by a New Zealand reporter whether Danny Grewcock had offered an apology to Keven Mealamu for the biting incident which earned the England lock a two-month ban.
“I don’t know, I’m not sure about that, but I’m not defending Danny Grewcock, I’m just disappointed that happened. That’s my take on it and that’s Brian’s take on it. He (Umaga) could have done that in the cold light of day and he could have enquired about his well-being as well. That’s traditional, you mightn’t like that but that’s the way it is.
“I don’t want to drag this thing out but Brian O’Driscoll’s tour is over and it was ended in a very sad way. We can park it there if you want to and things do happen.
“I don’t think the incident was pre-meditated but it was opportunistic and he knew exactly what he was doing when he did it. It’s a pity that it’s come out this way but that’s a fact of life.
“We all have our own take on it but this Lions tour will be remembered for this incident, whatever happens from here in, and that’s unfortunate.”
Meanwhile, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has weighed into the controversy saying it merited closer inspection by the rugby judiciary.
“I didn’t see it in the whole context and it was a bit murky but I would have thought that certainly someone would have had a closer look at it than they did,” said Jones.
He said the O’Driscoll incident highlighted the continuing consistency problems involving the rugby judiciary at international level.
“We have a problem with the judiciary, there’s no doubt about it. We need a more consistent and reliable way of dealing with foul play,” he said.
“We need to have a match commissioner, just as they do in cricket. Such a commissioner would look “at every part of the game from the warm-up to the end of the game to ensure we’re following the rules of the game,” Jones said.
“So we take away any rubbish from the game and at the end of the game he’s watched the game and he’s someone who understands the game, probably played the game at international level as the match commissioners in cricket have done,” Jones said.
“And if he’s seen something in the game such as that (O’Driscoll tackle) and the judiciary miss it, then he suggests they have a look at it.”
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