Seething All Black coach Graham Henry has vowed to confront Herald columnist Chris Rattue about his views on the miserable state of Welsh rugby.
"We are very embarrassed about the article in the paper and I was very annoyed and angry about it. I still am," Henry saidlate last night.
"I am going to sort the fellow out when I get home because there is 100 years of history here, 100 years of history between these two nations.
"I think we are closer to the Welsh rugby team than any other we play against."
The two teams got together after tests to have a drink and there was a mutual respect between the sides.
"For a guy to write that sort of article just made me very, very annoyed and I apologise to the Welsh people about that article.
"It is very uncalled for. I don't even know if this fellow has been to Wales.
"You get one or two idiots in every village and we have obviously got one over there."
The Western Mail took such exception to the column that it used the story on the front page and reprinted it in full on an inside page.
The paper said the poisonous words would impact on the psyche of both sides. "Rattue's insults are certain to enrage people throughout Wales and anger coach Gareth Jenkins and his players," the paper said.
The newspaper suggested Jenkins pin the article on the dressing-room wall to inspire Wales to beat the All Blacks for the first time in 53 years.
All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith said the Herald article should be dismissed as "just talk" in the same way the All Blacks would ignore claims they were cheats, were like playing Italy on a good day and that the test, for Wales, would be like going to war.
