World Cup captain James Horwill has denied helping plot Robbie Deans’ demise as Wallabies coach, saying his old mentor is only trying to boost book sales.
ARU boss Bill Pulver terminated Deans’ contract two days after Australia’s 41-16 series-deciding loss to the British and Irish Lions last year, with Horwill’s performance savaged in the cut coach’s autobiography released on Thursday.
The book, Red, Black & Gold, written by Deans’ trusted former Wallabies media manager Matt McIlraith, also documents Deans’ disillusionment at senior players being involved in “clandestine meetings” about the coach’s position in the days leading up to the third-Test capitulation.
“I don’t know about that,” Horwill said ahead of Saturday’s Test against Argentina in Mendoza.
“Not to my knowledge. We were focused on playing and what happened afterwards, happened. That was not our doing.”
While the book did not name names when referring to the senior players working “behind the scenes”, only then-skipper Horwill and vice-captain Will Genia were singled out for criticism after the heavy Lions defeat.
“It’s disappointing that individually you get blamed, but that’s part of footy – you live with what you’ve done,” Horwill told AAP.
“In the end, I feel like had a very good relationship with Robbie and I don’t think I ever went out there and did anything not to my fullest.”
Asked if the criticism hurt, Horwill said: “It’s part of it. People write books, you know, to sell ’em in the end.
“No-one’s going to write a book that’s boring.”
The chapter, titled “Fed To the Lions”, was certainly the most entertaining but Horwill insisted he never met with Pulver or anyone else to endorse a coaching change – win or lose the Sydney series decider.
“I never met with Bill Pulver about anything to do with the Wallabies,” he told AAP.
“That’s the way it is. That’s not my decision. that’s not what I did.
“That’s for the powers-to-be to do.”
Horwill, though, does now agree with his former coach that he should not have played with a calf injury, which, according to the autobiography, led to the “Australian scrum getting murdered”.
On Thursday, the lock conceded he’d been so worked up by the IRB intervening to reopen a foul play charge against him that, when he was finally cleared to play, nothing was going to stop him.
“The calf injury certainly did hurt and probably in hindsight I shouldn’t have (played),” he said.
“I was probably that worked up about what had happened previously and I really didn’t want them to beat me.
“We really didn’t know the severity until the warm-up and, looking back, what I’d been through earlier that week, or the week before, I was probably pretty stubborn to the fact that I wasn’t going to let a tiny little calf injury stop me from playing in what I thought was probably the biggest game of rugby played in Australia in a long, long time.”
Despite coming in for personal flak, Horwill said Deans’ five-year reign was a game changer in Australian rugby.
“He is the most-capped Wallabies coach ever,” he said.
“He came and tried to work on a lot of things and brought in a lot of youth, exposed a lot of players to Test rugby that probably we wouldn’t have heard of previously.
“He has a great passion for the game of rugby as a whole, not just Test rugby, but just the game of rugby at grassroots level to the whole way through.
“So that’s a real positive legacy.”
jeznez
Roar Guru
This may amaze you but officials do make mistakes.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Ok, so nowhere. He and the Dr's knew he had an injury but it is his fault it wasn't adequately tested pre-match.
Cal Retinin
Guest
Hear, hear!
Bakkies
Guest
Horwill should have been suspended
maxxlord
Roar Rookie
Robbie Deans is irrelevant, yesterday's news, sacked for failure to beat the lions and trying to get some revenge. Wallabies have moved on, its only the remnants of Robbie's humiliated fan club that wants to make this an issue and re-write history to paint him as a tragic hero. Suppose all this is true and there was a "conspiracy", so what? The man was fired and is never coming back, suck it up and get over it.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Yeah cause players are also medical experts and selectors. They have the sole say as to if they can play or not.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
spot on jeznez what kind of fitness test did Horwill undergo before he was allowed to take the field ? Deans was pretty happy to drop players like a hot stone when it suited him but he couldn't do anything about Horwill. Give us a break.
All Bent Out of Shape.
Guest
You didnt have a better view than the officials who were being barked at by Alexander and co.
All Bent Out of Shape.
Guest
The bit where he says he shouldnt have played, that he couldnt push with that leg, that he was stubborn based on IRB intervention, that nothing was going to stop him. How about acknowledging that you put the team ahead of your own crusade based on a percieved slight by the IRB. I mean a lock being able to push in a scrum tends to matter and he knew he couldnt but was going to play because of his own personal reasons was when he put himself ahead of the team. He was the captain ffs and he decided that he was going to play even if he was going to put the teams chances at risk.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I was there and had a brilliant view of it. I'll stand by what I saw thanks. The fact Corbisiero had an extended chat with Vunipola when he ran on the ground and that Vunipola - a player previously handled with ease by Alexander - proceeded to do exactly the same thing was telling to me. Horwill was packing on the left by this stage so Alexander did have weight coming from Simmons so will have been less impacted by Horwill's calf.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Where is that free admission? And if as stated above the severity of his injury was known in the warm up why was Horwill left on the pitch the whole match and Simmons used to replace Douglas?
All Bent Out of Shape.
Guest
Yeah, if a player knows he cant do his job then he should put himself above the team everytime...NOT.
All Bent Out of Shape.
Guest
Horwill was selfish and knows it.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I've done a bit of research in the last few minutes. The words of Deans' biographer appear to confirm my inferences above. "Deans said had he known Horwill’s injury was as severe as it was, he would have pulled him from the match." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/james-horwill-rejects-robbie-deans-accusation-that-he-didnt-care/story-e6frg7o6-1227079550294 The only question seems to be severity, not the injury itself. Given Horwill had missed the international season the prior 2012, if the coaching staff were aware of a repeat injury why wasn't it adequately assessed? Why was the severity unknown?
All Bent Out of Shape.
Guest
Jez, like Crockett the hype over Corbisiero angling in is just hype. To suggest that 3 officials cant see what spectators do is just wrong. Sure he has angled in but THs have also tried to make it look that way because of his reputation. Im pretty sure that refs know of his reputation too but ref what they see rather than assuming because they are well aware of what both sides do. Aus is infamous for scrum sneakyness and to think that they are above trying to make Corbs look like hes angling in is a bit rich. Imo the Aus TH was getting smashed and the plan b was to try and create the perception that Corbs was boring in by folding in themselves and giving him no option but to follow. Its done a lot and the highly trained refs look for both boring in and the tighthead making it look that way.
All Bent Out of Shape.
Guest
Wouldnt surprise me if he did coach NZ. Why not? Hes got lots of experience and would do well with NZ. Hes Super Rugbys most successful coach, has assisted NZ successfully and has coached Aus. Hes only 55 and could well return to NZ, do well with a Super Rugby team and apply for the top job. Im not opposed at all.
All Bent Out of Shape.
Guest
I know, Horwill freely admitted that he kept the extent of his injury to himself and that he knew he couldnt do his job properly and that he knew it was selfish. McCaw let the team and coaches know, did his job properly, did it for the team and wasnt an important part of the scrum like Horwill was as he let the Lions smash his tighthead. No wonder Horwill has been dropped from the captaincy. What he did is outrageous. Oh and Im sure he was never consulted about Deans remaining as coach, I mean why would they ask the captain? Horwill is f0oling some but not many.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Horwill says, "We really didn't know the severity until the warm up". It is reasonable to infer that "we" means the playing, medical and coaching group. It is also reasonable to consider that since it was the "severity" that was unknown that the injury itself was known. Where has it been said that the injury was not known by the coaching staff? I seem to recall it being in the press prior to the game so find that surprising.
Common Sense
Roar Rookie
You know loose forwards don't push in scrums.
Old Bugger
Guest
Jez, Mute Not necessarily....if the injury is so obvious during training then I agree, Dingo & Co should've stood Horwill down. But, here's the catch - Horwill knew he had a crocked leg and probably knew he'd go into the game not fully fit and yet, it seems he didn't give any indication whatsoever that he was carrying an injury - by his own admission, he didn't. Yet somehow, Horwill has managed to get through a week of training without anyone in the coaching staff, Dingo included, noticing a injury problem for Horwill. Now, either his injury wasn't as serious as he makes out hence he survives a week of training and plays or he has managed to carry his busted calf through a full week of sessions without showing any signs of discomfort. Either way, it was his choice because as we all know, a coach will give his players, especially his captain, every opportunity to prove their fitness particularly, if they are aware of an injury. It appears noone in the coaching group was aware of any injury or had even noticed an injury in the week before match day but, it seems the fault lies with the coaching group.... I'm not a Dingo fan but if he says Horwill never advised anyone in the coaching team and Horwill confirms he didn't, then I place the responsibility fair and square in Horwill's basket.