The Aussies are dirty, not Franks - former All Black
Former All Blacks prop Craig Dowd has come to the defence of his fellow front-rower Owen Franks, saying there was no eyegouging involved in the controversial Bledisloe Cup incident.
Franks has weathered a storm in the wake of the 29-9 Bledisloe Cup-sealing win over the Wallabies with allegations he gouged Australian lock Kane Douglas. The All Blacks have shrugged off the allegations, but critics have expressed dismay at a lack of action by officials.
Dowd, the 60-test veteran, used his ESPNscrum.com column to give his view and made it clear there was nothing malicious from double World Cup winner Franks.
‘‘So far as the alleged eyegouging is concerned, I don’t think there was anything in it and the Australia reaction is borne out of frustration,’’ Dowd wrote.
‘‘Owen Franks didn’t put his finger in his eye, he ran his hand down Kane Douglas’ face. The referee made the right decision and moved on.
‘‘There’s many a time at the bottom of a ruck I’ve had a finger in the eye. It does go on but the Franks incident was nothing and because it has been highlighted the right people who make the decisions have said there was nothing in it and that is the end of the matter.’’
Dowd preferred to highlight the rough tactics that came from the Wallabies in the test, accusing them of a ‘‘defeatist approach’’.
‘‘Even trying to knock New Zealand off their game with a bit of niggle didn’t work for Australia, and the way the All Blacks refused to be drawn into that sort of contest again spoke volumes for their attitude,’’ Dowd wrote.
‘‘The Aussies brought more grit to the game but, again, they didn’t have the arsenal. New Zealand’s hard men - Dane Coles, Brodie Retallick, Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read - all fronted and stood up and went straight back at them. You would have to say that approach didn’t help Australia’s cause.
‘‘There’s an old cliche that you win the fight if you’re not going to win the game, and the Wallabies employing that niggle was a defeatist sort of approach.
‘‘When you go into a game looking to put niggle in you’ve already put the white flag up. You’re basically saying: ‘There’s no way we can beat this team so we’ll try and kneecap them where we can and try and nullify parts of it’.
As Australia look for answers to their struggling game, Dowd said New Zealand’s developmental system was the envy of everyone.
‘‘The foundation to the New Zealand game is reflected by the cream at the top. People ask about New Zealand’s dominance, and it comes right back to the grassroots at club or schoolboy level and taking that all the way through to the All Blacks,’’ Dowd wrote.
‘‘The stepping stones are there to develop professional rugby players. Australia don’t have that model, and rugby sits probably fourth or fifth, and falling, in the landscape as a winter code, and you have to ask if the seriously best athletes choose to play rugby. That’s why they tap into the Pacific Islands and tap into New Zealand.’’