Paul Thomas: Slapping brakes on sporting spin

COMMENT

As happened at No 10 Downing Street, South African rugby's spin machine has spun out of control.

Ex-media manager Mark Keohane's allegations of a nod-and-wink attitude to racism prompted a still-born inquiry and suggestions that Springbok coach Rudolph Straeuli could be sacked a month out from the World Cup.

Straeuli now seems likely to survive, which just goes to show you shouldn't underestimate a trained lawyer with a head the size of a small meteor and a voice like a prophet of doom.

A fundamental of spin is the ad hominem argument - in rugby terms, playing the man, not the ball. Thus the late Dr David Kelly, the haunted figure at the centre of the crisis threatening to engulf Tony Blair, was labelled a Walter Mitty figure. Thus Springbok captain Corne Krige suggested the players didn't like or trust Keohane who jumped before he was pushed rather than, as he claimed, resigned over a matter of principle.

So when the Wallabies complained of Springbok foul play they were labelled sissies. And when former media manager Alex Broun alleged that the Springboks had secretly filmed the Wallabies captain's run before the Tri-Nations game in Cape Town, it was dismissed as sour grapes on the part of a disaffected ex-employee.

Keohane's 12,000-word parting shot backed Broun and Wallaby hooker and human hamburger Brendon Cannon.

It's easy to think this sort of stuff doesn't go on here, that our two degrees of separation and smallness cause us to think twice before we sling mud. Well, think again.

When a new book quoted former SAS colonel and All Black manager Andrew Martin's view that the players continue to cling to a booze culture that's inappropriate in the professional era, what was the response?

The editor of allblacks.com, the cyber arm of the All Blacks PR machine, revealed on television that word from inside the camp is Martin's claims are - wait for it - "sour grapes".

All Black spokesman Matt McIlraith later reinforced this line of attack, slighting Martin as someone who was humptied out of his job. With breathtaking presumption former All Black Greg Feek accused Martin of breaking SAS values.

The book also quoted All Black team doctor John Mayhew expressing similar views. According to McIlraith, the author misrepresented what Mayhew said. This is a mealy-mouthed way of saying that the author was at best unprofessional, at worst dishonest.

As the author concerned, I know McIlraith is quite wrong on that score and I'm pretty certain he's wrong about Andrew Martin as well.

My very strong impression was that Martin said what he said because he cares deeply about the All Blacks - in the wider sense - and the future well-being of New Zealand rugby as opposed to the current squad.

If the New Zealand Rugby Union endorses the spin being disseminated by its employees, it should go the whole hog and explain exactly why Martin was removed as All Black manager. A good starting point would be to make public his report on the 2001 tour of Ireland, Scotland and Argentina.

* Sports biographer Paul Thomas has written books with All Black legend John Kirwan and former All Black coach John Hart. His examination of the impact of professionalism on New Zealand rugby, A Whole New Ball Game, has just been published by Hodder Moa Beckett. Thomas is one of the Herald's World Cup team.