Paper heralds a shift in NZ attitudes over O’Driscoll spearing

NEW ZEALAND’s leading newspaper has fuelled the British and Irish Lions’ sense of injustice over the Brian O’Driscoll ‘spearing’ controversy.

The New Zealand Herald admitted that the affair had sullied the “good name of New Zealand rugby.”

In its editorial yesterday, the newspaper describes the “tackle” perpetrated by All Blacks skipper Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu as “reckless and dangerous”, and unbecoming of a man (Umaga) who only six months ago received international recognition for fair play.