McBride angered

Press, 29 June 1983, Page 44

McBride angered

The Lions’ manager, Mr Willie John Mcßride, took a swing at the New Zealand media in Christchurch yesterday, accusing it of “indulging in character assassination” and “killing rugby.” He was upset over media coverage of an incident in the North Auckland match last Saturday, when Steve Bainbridge, of the Lions, head-butted an opposing lock, Alistair Robinson. He described the coverage as “absurd” and claimed the New Zealand media ignored the provocation to which the Lions

players were subjected. Some of the headlines he had collected since the game caused him to say, “I’ve had a gutsful.” “It’s a sad thing in amateur sport, and in the host country,” he said. Asked later if he felt the New Zealand media had been hard on the Lions, he said, “We certainly haven’t had many pats on the back.” However, the Lions’ coach, Mr Jim Telfer, said he had seen the Bainbridge incident in a video replay, and deplored the action. “No-one can condone that sort of thing,” he said.