By Don Farmer
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As unsavoury as it is to “attack” a fellow journalist I have a message for Stephen Jones — pull your head in.
The Welsh whinger — and I will gain no brownie points with my wife for referring to a fellow countryman of hers in that way — is way out of order in his comments re the All Blacks.
Jones is a British sports columnist and he is up in arms over Sanzaar taking no action over a supposed eye gouge by All Blacks prop Owen Franks on Wallaby lock Kane Douglas during the second Bledisloe test in Wellington.
I have no issue with Jones questioning Sanzaar’s decision if he felt there were genuine grounds but it is what he says following that which reveals his whingeing properties.
Jones makes the astonishing assertion the rest of the rugby world is so terrified of New Zealand that they fail to take a stand against misdemeanours simply out of fear.
What utter tosh.
Jones harps back to 2005 when there was an isolated, inexplicable incident involving Keven Mealamu and Tama Umaga who picked up Irishman Brian O’Driscoll and drove him to the ground in a dangerous spear tackle.
That incident should have resulted in appropriate punishment but didn’t, unfortunate but end-of-story.
To extrapolate that out to suggest we as a rugby nation are immuned from punishment is ridiculous.
Kane Douglas puts the latest incident into proper perspective by declaring he at no time felt there was anything other than an opposing player trying to stop him from driving through a maul.
Arms were flaying everywhere, said Douglas, and his eyes were “fine”.
He picked himself up and was straight back into the fray oblivious to any alleged wrong-doing.
It had happened in seconds and the Wallaby lock said he had no issue at all with the actions of Owen Franks and, as the supposed victim, his words must surely have carried weight.
Sorry Mr Jones but I think your real beef with the All Blacks is that your national side and most others around the world can’t beat them.
Come back next year with the British and Irish Lions and have another stab at it but remember we won’t be playing tiddlywinks.
I agree with these comments. Stephen, you have become tedious. Just get your team to beat them, then you will feel better.