By GREGG WYCHERLEY
The rugby balls used in the first test in Dunedin last Saturday will be returned to Germany for testing after being slammed for poor performance by All Black Andrew Mehrtens and Irish captain Keith Wood.
Mehrtens described the yellow adidas ball used at Carisbrook as a "pig", sparking
an immediate response from the team's touchy $180 million sponsor.
Craig Lawson, managing director of adidas New Zealand, said the four balls would be sent to the company's base in Germany for extensive testing.
He was confident the balls would pass muster and said Mehrtens' criticism might have been made to draw attention away from the team's poor performance.
"But we respect his right to make those comments and if there is clearly an issue then we need to resolve that issue."
The company was unhappy, however, that Mehrtens made his comments in a public outburst to the media rather than talking directly to adidas.
"We've expressed our dissatisfaction to team management on the way in which the issue was communicated to us."
Criticism of the adidas ball has become almost routine since it was brought in to replace the Gilbert model in 2000.
That first adidas ball was ditched after its first season following criticism from Mehrtens, All Black five-eighths Tony Brown and halfback Justin Marshall.
The trio questioned the ball's aerodynamics and handling, saying it faded when punted or passed and became very greasy in the wet.
Adidas came back with an improved ball last year, but players have continued to complain.
Mr Lawson said the ball had been refined since then and had been widely used in club rugby and NPC games without complaint.
He said adidas staff attended the Irish team's training yesterday morning and were told the team were happy with the ball.
Gilbert New Zealand general manager Stanko Zonich said New Zealand was the only major rugby nation that used an adidas ball.
He said players told him they preferred the Gilbert ball, which is used in the Super 12 in New Zealand.
He said the adidas contract was up for renewal after the Rugby World Cup, and Gilbert would be pitching hard to regain the contract.
All Blacks test schedule/scoreboard
