Cowan sent home after Brisbane bar incident

BRISBANE - Southland halfback Jimmy Cowan has been sent home from the Junior All Blacks tour of Australia after being fined by Brisbane police following an incident in a city bar.

Cowan, a 2004 All Black, was fined A$300 ($330).

The New Zealand Rugby Union also suspended him for a week.

He was charged with contravening direction when he attempted to enter licensed premises after he had been asked to leave a neighbouring bar early last Saturday, hours before the team were to fly to Canberra.

"He was out with the boys not involved with the game [against Australia A in Canberra on Sunday] and got detached from them," Junior All Blacks manager Glenn Ross said.

"He was asked to leave one of the bars, he re-entered another one and apparently the rules are such in Brisbane that once you've been asked to leave one bar you're not allowed to re-enter another within 100m of it.

"He was unaware of that and did so, suffering the consequences. Instead, of going home he decided to go back and the charge resulted."

Ross said team management were disappointed but hopeful Cowan had learned his lesson by missing the tour finale against Australia A in Sydney this Friday night.

"He's a good kid, Jimmy, and he's made a mistake he regrets," Ross said. "The challenge for him now is he learns from it and moves on. He's impressed me how he's gone about dealing with it."

Bay of Plenty's Kevin Senio arrived yesterday to replace Cowan.

Steve Devine, the starting halfback in Canberra, has returned home with Auckland provincial team-mates Ben Atiga, John Afoa and Jerome Kaino to prepare for their match against the Lions next Tuesday.

- NZPA