Mains hits back at Oliver

Laurie Mains today launched a fierce defence of himself and accused former New Zealand captain Anton Oliver of dumping on the ethos of All Blacks rugby.

Mains was heavily criticised in a biography released this week by the former All Blacks captain.

Oliver devoted one chapter of his book "Anton Oliver Inside" to the unravelling of the Highlanders in 2003 when the players revolted over Mains' "manipulative", "petty" man management.

He also detailed major concerns about a heavy drinking culture which developed in the All Blacks under coach John Mitchell in 2001 to 2003.

Speaking publicly for the first time about Oliver's criticisms, Mains suggested the airing of All Blacks laundry in public did Oliver little credit.

"I'm staggered at some of the stuff I've seen regarding the All Blacks," Mains told Radio Live.

"What happens on tour stays on tour. Teams come off the field emotionally drained and it's perfectly normal for rugby teams -- occasionally -- to have a few beers together.

"That sort of thing should not be in the public eye and nor should it be made public.

"The guy has just dumped on his own teammates and probably on the ethos of All Blacks rugby.

"I think it's a measure of him rather than a measure of the people he's been critical of."

Mains said he had not read Oliver's biography, had no intention of doing so and had based his thoughts on what he had read of the book in newspapers.

In his book, Oliver criticised Mains' term coaching the Highlanders in 2002 and 2003, describing him as manipulative and petty, which left players feeling uneasy and insecure.

He said a mass exodus of players faced the Highlanders had Mains not resigned at the end of the 2003 Super 12 when the franchise finished seventh.

Mains suggested Oliver's criticisms said more about the player than himself.

"My concern is the way the stories are told misrepresents what actually happened.

"If he'd stuck with the facts fairly represented I wouldn't have said anything but I don't appreciate having the facts misrepresented that reflect on me as a person. It's just below the belt, really."

Mains said former All Blacks such as Ian Jones, Frank Bunce and Sean Fitzpatrick had spoken positively of his period as All Blacks coach from 1992 to 1995

"They have said how they appreciated how straight up I was, that I said it as it was.

"But this particular guy (Oliver) couldn't handle that. Maybe if I was doing the whole thing over again I'd turn around and make some exceptions for Anton Oliver.

"It's not a good thing to do but he's obviously different from most of the people who appreciated that I talked straight to them."

Mains was angered by what he termed misrepresentations of him in the biography, citing as an example the time he and his wife Annemarie, the team's media liaison officer, flew first class on a Highlanders trip to South Africa.

"The airline tickets were handed out to team just before boarding. Qantas did the upgrading, not us," Mains said.

"I immediately took mine and Annemarie's to Filipo Levi, who was injured, and the team physio Peter Gallagher and offered them to them. They refused them.

"Some of the things written about me, the facts are just totally misrepresented."

Mains, who first selected Oliver in the All Blacks in 1995, said he noticed a change in Oliver as a person after he was relieved of the All Blacks captaincy after a reign of 10 tests in 2001.

"The All Blacks captaincy didn't do him any favours. He wasn't successful with that and took all the burdens on the field and off the field on to his own shoulders," Mains said.

"Anton is just one of those people who needs to control everything that's going on in his environment. I think that really got to him."

- NZPA