Wallabies skipper reveals his booze ban

Oh dear. Must remember - 140 character posts, one concept per post is the optimum appetite for the smartest of 'em.

i think he was on the turps with the dublin 6 and hasnt stopped since

Have you gone troppo?

In this fabulously hilarious postscript to one of most ignominious seasons put forward by this mediocre mob of incompetent misfits, the Wide Mouthed Qantas Harmless Wallabies, even the mathematics cannot be agreed without some deep and meaningful video analysis.

”$ 440 per person over a 4/5 hour period”

from Tah Man becomes

”370 per person would probably buy u around 8-10 drinks at best at those sorts of clubs”

from jutsie, which is then doubled up at

”35 a throw? Me thinks maybe half juts”

by Justin3. Everyone ignores the elephant in the platinum room of the swish nightclub - the adoring fans who, for reasons unknown, insist on themselves shouting drinks for the inept show ponies. We end up with somewhere between 10 and 20 drinks over 4 to 5 hours plus the inevitable freebies. Yeah, they went home legless or they weren't trying real hard or were incapable, as usual. When they manage to spend that much loot, on what I see described as some sort of team cuddle session, surrounded by a hundred of their newest-best-strangers-as-friends, I'm surprised McKenzie didn't sack them straight off the bat for having more money than sense. I see Wobbly Chief Social Worker, Bill Pulver, features in the Telegraph this afternoon, appearing as a Mosman grazier with substantial acreage, in a photo for which he has been told to keep his ear pulling hand in his pocket. It makes his beer belly stand out even more - you'd reckon the ARU would have a General Manager, Corporate Portrayal on hand to advise against using him as a photo subject. He prattles on meaninglessly, as do his players all the time ... "RUGBY boss Bill Pulver has vowed that last week's drinking scandal involving 15 Wallabies stars will be a one-off. They're just lads not long out of school after all, experiencing life's adventure - a journey if you like, through life's experience thingy. Do you not feel their pain too?" It's about as convincing as ”We are gutted about losing – mind you, it was because of the referee – but arguably on paper we’ve learned things going forward and we have the best scrum half / open side / shucked oyster / shelled prawn / tight head in the world in the history of the game and yeah, nah, nah, yeah” ... "What's a "pass" Mr Ashley Two Fathers?" ... "I dunno, ask me mum" What a remarkable year for Australian rugby.

I was not referring to his replying to the Coach. To the Head Coach, the player must be honest. The article is about Mowen being queried by the press, not the Coach.

Leadership is not about hiding the truth from your Head Coach where is the trust then? I doubt if Mackenzie even needed to speak to anyone to find out what happened, the journos knew the bar bill and the players, Mackenzie had to take action... And if questions were asked then not telling the truth would have been considered just as bad...as staying out all night... If you are a parent or have a partner then you should understand that it is the lying in any relationship that destroys trust! Particularly Head Coach to players

35 a throw? Me thinks maybe half juts, they'd have had plenty, who stays out til 330 only half cut?

I know from experience ;)

370 per person would probably buy u around 8-10 drinks at best at those sorts of clubs, daylight robbery the price of drinks! but in all seriousness yes they shouldnt have been out that late but the daily tele's reporting was a bit misleading with the price of drinks at those sort of clubs they would have had a decent night but not "paralytic of my face" kind of night.

its a worse look on the older blokes for being so foolish but i dont think its something theyd be doing on a regular basis. Back to ur original comment true that u wouldnt see AFL players gettin on the booze midweek but thats also because their activities are heavily regulated compared to the wallas, there have been a few incidents over the past few years of them taking prescription drgs like the swimmers because its not as obvious the next day as getting on the sauce (the most recent case i think was dusty martin at the tigers).

Jeez, Thelma remind me never to go drinking with you. 6 key players drink $ 2200 worth of grog i.e $ 370 per person. Sorry only 5 as AAC'c Mum said he wasnt drinking so its $ 440 per person over a 4/5 hour period and you want to blame Mowen and McKenzie. Even David Boon and Dougie Waters would have trouble keeping up with those guys who let the Coach and Team down!!

Tell that to George Best or Paul Gascoine. Persuade them.

There is honesty, and there is delicadeza, or appropriateness of the deed. What's wrong about keeping quiet?

Nobody needed to dob anyone if Mackenzie did not run into them coming into the lobby early in the morning the journalists on tour would have exposed it anyway, Mackenzie is too smart to let the journalists pull him down he understands the weaknesses and strengths of his players .... It looks like he has made another strength from a weakness on this tour again... Head coach beats journalist.... And probably the pub staff that provided the free drinks...

He was asked a question and answered it honestly ..is not that what we expect from people even more importantly our leaders... Good on you Mowen...I think we are finally on the right track!

I agree with what you are saying ut there are plenty of weeks off during the year for a drink and after most matches too.

Nick loves a drink.

The footy blokes get a pretty decent off season now when they let their hair down. Buddy franklin was on a drink binge for the entire spring racing carnival. He also gets paid a sh..... load more than any of the wallabies. Where is the off season for test rep in aus rugby. Yes they are getting decent coin compared to the average worker but how much more is expected of them. They stuffed up but they arent the only sports team to go on the drink. It doesnt really indicate a poor culture just blokes being blokes.

Sanctimonious show-off. A supposed-captain who does not understand the impact of his words on team morale. He and Mackenzie are a perfect fit, down to the vocabulary and sentence structure. Can you imagine Nick Farr-Jones saying the stuff he's said?

I have mixed feelings on the bans imposed by McKenzie. This occurred before the Irish test & apart from the Irish playing badly, the Wallabies played like they were enjoying their rugby again. How much of their good form might be attributed to the drinkathon is difficult to know. I grew up in an era when team drink bonding was considered the ideal way to develop team spirit. It wasn't just about the game. Life experiences were shared, & the older guys passed the benefit of their acquired wisdom down to the younger guys. Those pub experiences counted for a lot. You were more willing to play for your team mates because everyone gave more of themselves to the group in those relaxed atmospheres. The older guys also set the parameters on how far you could go with the drink. You could get drunk, but don't make a spectacle of yourself. While a "no dickheads" policy was never mentioned as a fact, it was practiced in deed. Anyone with a perceived 'big head' was quickly cut back into line. It all seemed to work just fine back then. At the end of the day, the players still need to enjoy their rugby, & enjoy their life. They need time occasionally to let off steam. Work/life balance is as critical for the professional sportsman as for any of us.