AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS NEWS:NEW ZEALAND yesterday confirmed they will fight "to the death" against the four-week ban handed down to hooker Keven Mealamu for an apparent headbutt on England's Lewis Moody.
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen confirmed the appeal will be lodged and possibly heard by an International Rugby Board (IRB) panel tomorrow.
The IRB last night found Mealamu guilty of headbutting Moody in the All Blacks’ 26-16 win at Twickenham last Saturday, but was spared an eight-week suspension due to his “exemplary disciplinary record” in 82 Tests for the All Blacks.
Hansen, who formed part of Mealamu’s defence team during last night’s two-hour hearing, said: “We’re defending a guy who’s character has been questioned and it shouldn’t be. He’s a one-off special person. He hasn’t got a dirty bone in his body. He’s not a dirty player, he never has been. This is a case we’ll go to the death on.”
Hansen revealed Mealamu’s ban had affected morale in the All Blacks’ camp. “The guys were gutted because he can’t play and more importantly they were gutted for Kevvy because of the man he is,” he added. “Everyone knows it’s not in his nature to do that and everyone knows if Kevvy says he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it.”
Television footage of the incident showed Mealamu grabbing Moody by the jersey and then diving forward, making contact with the back of the England captain’s head.
The International Rugby Board’s citing commissioner John West on Sunday night charged Mealamu with contravening Law 10.4a – “striking with the head” – and IRB judicial officer Lorne Crerar led Tuesday night’s hearing in Glasgow, implementing the ban. It is understood Mealamu’s defence team claimed he made contact with Moody with his shoulder, rather than his head.
Should New Zealand’s appeal fail, Mealamu will be suspended until December 4th, ruling him out of Saturday’s match with Scotland at Murrayfield as well as the remainder of the All Blacks’ tour fixtures against Ireland in Dublin on November 21st and Wales in Cardiff a week later .
With Mealamu’s appeal set to be heard tomorrow at the earliest, All Blacks coach Graham Henry is set to turn to uncapped Hawke’s Bay hooker Hika Elliot when he names his XV for Saturday’s Test today. Andrew Hore is the other hooker in the squad, but is short of match practice following a shoulder injury.
Scotland have been forced to make a change to their match-day squad as uncapped Edinburgh number nine Greig Laidlaw, nephew of former Scotland and Lions scrumhalf Roy Laidlaw, has been called up to the replacements’ bench after Rory Lawson was forced to withdraw with a hand injury.
Elsewhere, Francois Steyn insists he will do all his talking on the field as he looks to secure a place in South Africa’s squad for next year’s World Cup in New Zealand. The 23-year-old was named on Tuesday at outside centre in Peter de Villiers’ starting line-up to face Wales at the Millennium Stadium having only joined up with the Springboks on Sunday.
Steyn had missed their weekend win over Ireland in Dublin as his French club, Racing Metro, were not obliged to release him with that Test falling outside the November Test window.
The former Sharks’ back’s rapid return comes just a couple of months after he criticised De Villiers for cancelling a meeting with him in Paris, saying he no longer expected anything from the Springboks’ management. But a truce appears to have been called and Steyn, who is set to win his 40th cap on Saturday, says he will do his talking on the field and not in the media.
