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Former All Black Jerome Kaino has backed criticism over Julian Savea's performance at Toulon but said shouldn't have got personal.
Savea was told he "wasn't welcome" at the French club earlier this year by owner Mourad Boudjellal, who made explosive comments about the former All Black winger's struggled performance.
"I'mgoing to ask for a DNA test. They must have swapped him on the plane [when he joined from the Hurricanes last year]. If I were him I would apologise and go back to my home country," Mourad Boudjellal told French radio RMC.
"I've told him that he was free to go and wasn't welcome at Toulon any more," he added.
Jerome Kaino said criticism over his former teammate was fair. Photo / Getty
The public shaming which sparked online threats against Savea's wife and daughter was slammed by some fans as too harsh, but Kaino said players needed to accept criticism when it was fair and justified.
"Of course. They [the criticisms] are not too harsh from the moment they relate to the level of play," Kaino, who plays for Toulouse told Midi Olympique.
"We practice a high level sport where, when we are not performing on the field, it makes sense to suffer criticism.
Kaino, who won the 2015 World Cup alongside Savea, acknowledged that personal attacks, however, crossed the line and offered support to his former teammate's family.
"I only think that when the family can be impacted, that's too much," he added.
"The limit is the personal aspect.
"I did not want to interfere in this story because it does not involve me and I do not know all the details. But I just wanted to support Julian and his family, because his family was affected by the critics."
In the same article, former Toulon player and Springboks star Bryan Habana agreed with Kaino's thoughts.
"As a player from Toulon, you have to learn to go beyond what the president says," he said. "It's easy to be in support of the team when it wins, it should also be done when it is in trouble. These situations are not pleasant for any player.
Julian Savea returned to the starting line-up last week. Photo / Photosport
"Nobody comes to Toulon to play badly. When they lack confidence and results, it is disappointing to see that their environment does not support them. In these events, players must remain welded, grouped. But all this interference from the outside does not help them."
Savea made a return to Toulon's starting lineup last week following a five-week absence but it wasn't in the fashion he would have hoped for as his French side fell to a 42-33 defeat to Lyon.
He now has just six Top 14 matches left in the season to prove his worth with a year left on his contract.
