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All Black captain Richie McCaw has broken his silence on French eye-gouging in the Rugby World Cup final and says the game had turned “filthy” when it happened.
The International Rugby Board did not cite French player Aurelien Rougerie despite video footage showing him raking his fingers across McCaw’s face. It is now looking to extend the citing window past 36 hours after the match.
At a breakfast fundraiser in Christchurch on Monday, McCaw said he was “surprised” Rougerie was not cited and the final had become “filthy” when he was eye-gouged, Fairfax NZ reported.
“The French are worse when they are scared … They were as bad as they have been and were going for the eyes,” he said.
McCaw said he felt “sheer relief” when the All Blacks won the closely fought final 8-7.
McCaw joked that all the unwritten rules about the William Webb Ellis Cup went out the window.
The cup is never supposed to be alone, no-one is allowed to drink out of it and no-one is allowed to drink near it.
“We broke every single one of them.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.