No coddling from the coach
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:40
All Black coach Graham Henry refuses to police his young players regarding their recreational nuances, saying the onus lies with them in making the right choices.
The All Blacks are on notice that any off-field misdemeanours following Saturday's high-pressure opening Tri-Nations Test against the world champion Springboks could see them chopped from the squad.
But coach Graham Henry said he would not accept heavy policing of the players despite a series of recent incidents that have tarnished the image of the sport.
"We take that area of the game particularly seriously. It's not about policing young people to do the right thing, it's about them making the right decisions," Henry said going into Saturday's Test.
"Once we become a police-orientated rugby team that's the time to give it away. I wouldn't want to be involved in that."
All Blacks back row forward Jerome Kaino was last week charged with drunken driving and reserve scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan has been cited three times in recent months for alcohol-related disorderly behaviour.
Last month, New Zealand police investigated allegations that four members of the England rugby team sexually assaulted a woman in their hotel following their first Test loss to the All Blacks, although there have been no charges.
Henry said the All Blacks' off-field protocols centered on the players making the right decisions, regardless of the match outcome.
"Sometimes they're not going to do that. Hopefully they learn from that and if they don't learn from that they won't be here," added Henry.
Kaino said this week he had received a stern dressing-down from All Blacks management while the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) has banned Cowan from drinking, fined him $3,000 NZD (R18,000) and asked him to undergo alcohol counselling.
"It has hit home for a lot of us, especially myself, that you've got to get all parts of your life intact if you want to be an All Black and if you want to be successful in rugby," Kaino said.
"We got told when we first joined the squad that a lot of this isn't acceptable. They've got zero tolerance for all of this.
"A lot of the guys have readjusted in what choices they make in the future. Following these two incidents, none of this will be tolerated any more," Kaino added.
Saturday's Test is seen in New Zealand as an unofficial world championship final, with the All Blacks seeking redemption after their shock loss in the quarter-finals of last year's World Cup.
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