Bridgend-incident questioning raises Mr Gleeson’s ire

Press, 20 December 1978, Page 38

Bridgend-incident questioning raises Mr Gleeson’s ire

Phe All Blacks’ departure from Britain yesterday was soured by a stormy press conference, from which their coach, Mr Jack Gleeson, threatened to leave when a reporter persisted with questions about the now-infamous Bridgend incident.

I The All Black, John Ashworth (Canterbury), who 'stepped on and injured the Welsh captain, .1. P. R. Williams, in the match against Bridgend had the last word, however Just before the team left Heathrow Airport, Ashworth apologised for injuring Williams, the N.Z.P.A. ■ reported from London. At the press conference Mr Gleeson said: “We have forgotten about Bridgend. I am not going to answer specific questions about the match. It takes two to tango."

Mr Gleeson took exception to one Fleet Street writer, lan Todd, of the “Sun,” who questioned the manager (Mr Russ Thomas), Mr Gleeson and the captain, Graham Mourie. about the J. P. R. Williams incident.

He told Todd: “If that’s all you want to talk about then I’m leaving, lan. You and I don’t get on because of what you wrote about that match.”

Todd said after that match that Ashworth deliberately stamped on Williams’ face and he criticised the All Black management for not making any public comment on it.

Todd asked his questions alone — he had no support from other British writers. Mr Thomas said he was not going to go back over chapter and verse about the Bridgend match. Todd said that on Saturday night at the dinner after [the Barbarians game there [had been talk of the positive [ leadership and management on the All Blacks’ tour. “What positive management have you shown after the Bridgend match?” he asked.

Mr Thomas replied that he had not seen the incident at the time and that he had not yet seen a replay of it on television.

I Todd: “Why not?” | Mr Thomas: “That’s my [decision.” Mr Thomas went on to say that at all stages of the All Blacks’ tour, “we believed the referee was the sole judge.” Neither Mr Thomas nor Mourie were entirely on the

defensive in their final session with British journalists before they left Britain. Mourie, replying to a criticism of the AH Blacks’ rucking, said that more injuries this tour and last year’s by the Lions resulted from tackling “and do you want to outlaw from the game?”

John Ashworth said as the All Blacks left yesterday: “I am sorry it happened. It was

an accident. He was covered in mud when I went in and I could not distinguish his head from the ball. “Exactly the same thing would have happened whether it was J.P.R. or not.” At the press conference Mr Thomas admitted that he had been assaulted after the tourists’ last game, against the Barbarians in Cardiff on Sunday. “It is true that an incident occurred but I am not prepared to comment,’’ he said. Mr Gleeson also criticised British rugby. He said: “I don’t know why the British press makes such a fuss of the rucks unless it is because New Zealand are so good at it. “Nobody should lie on the ball or dive over it and if they do they inflict injury more or less upon themselves. “The rule is clear and that is that players must roll clear immediately; too many people lie on the ball creating the pile up and frustration.

“If British players were coached as they are in New Zealand they would realise that the ball must be heeled back. That is what we do. We do not kick people.

Mr Thomas concluded: “If we had expected the whole trip to go well we would have been naive, but we came out here determined to build friendships, run the ball, score tries and win games and that is what we did.

“Our tour can be judged on our results and the measure of respect we have earned on and off the field.”