The touring British and Irish Lions have come under further attack in Australia, as former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer has labelled Warren Gatland’s side “cheats”.
“We have a great game and there is massive scope for playing attractive rugby," Dwyer told the Weekend Australian. “It's not supposed to be a contest to see who can cheat the best. It's who can play the best.”
Dwyer placed the blame for the tourists’ underhand tactics at the feet of their coach or, more specifically, their coach’s nationality and the rugby traditions inherent within.
"One comment I'd like to make after having seen the Lions in action on tour is that it doesn't come as any surprise they're coached by a New Zealander because they play outside the laws of the game as every New Zealand side does."
The thrust of Dwyer’s argument seems somewhat misguided, considering The Wallabies coach, Robbie Deans, is from New Zealand and – according to Dwyer’s thesis - presumably subject to a similarly close relationship with rugby’s dark arts as his compatriot, Gatland.
Dwyer focused on The Lions tactics in the scrum as a major point for cheating, and their tactics at kick off.
"When they put the delayed shove on, they scrummage upwards so there is nowhere for the opposing hooker to go but up."
On the kick offs he said: "They form a barrier in front of the catcher.
"At times against the Combined Country side, there were four of them in a line ahead of the catcher. One of them made an almost childish imitation of trying to catch the ball to persuade the ref he wasn't doing anything wrong.
"You can't screen the catcher. Surely that was obvious to anyone watching the game."
Dwyer also accused the Lions of illegal play at rucks.
"It's good play, right up to the point where they go straight to ground to seal off the ball," he said.
"The most obvious guy to detect doing this against Combined Country and the Reds was their second-rower Richie Gray, who is about 11 foot tall and has a mop of blond hair, so he's pretty hard to miss. But the officials missed him anyway, even when he joined the ruck from in front of the ball,” he said.
The Lions have just kickedd off Michael Cheika's New South Wales Waratahs, at a sold out Allianz Stadium, with Simon Zebo having a try ruled out by the video referee. He had crossed the line after just 40 seconds of play, and with his first touch in a Lions shirt. Unfortunately for the Munster winger his foot had touched the sideline a moment before he grounded the ball.
