“At a management meeting the day after the incident — and, of course, our test win against Wales — I made it absolutely clear that I wanted Keith to stay on the tour. Everyone present agreed and he was named to start in the next match.
“So, it came as a real shock when, the following day, manager Ernie Todd announced that Keith was being sent home. I knew Ernie had been under pressure to dismiss Keith from the tour; what I didn’t know until years later was just how much pressure the Four Home Unions had exerted on our manager.
“In reality, it took a few days before the enormity of the situation really sank in. But one thing’s for sure, the more I thought about it as the tour unfolded, the more I believed we should have put our foot down and issued an ultimatum: If Keith goes home, we all go home. It’s a thought that has never left me . . .
“As for the man himself, he was brilliant within the team environment, always willing to help out and very popular among his fellow tourists. I never had any issues with him on or off the field. Granted, he was media-shy, but that’s hardly a crime. There have been plenty of players in both the amateur and professional eras who have avoided the media spotlight.
‘’Keith was a very good footballer — immensely strong and a world-class prop. So, it is sad that his entire All Blacks career has been defined by that one incident after the test against Wales.” — NZ Herald
