The All Blacks legend whose scrotum was ripped open in an infamous 1986 rugby union Test match against France, admitted he wasn’t surprised at new allegations Les Bleus were on amphetamines at the time.
Wayne “Buck” Shelford was the most prominent casualty in the so-called “Battle of Nantes”, when a fired-up French team brutally attacked New Zealand to seize a 16-3 victory.
Shelford was caught at the bottom of a ruck 20 minutes into the game, losing four teeth and then sustaining a large tear to his scrotum courtesy of a stray French boot.
Incredibly, Shelford had his injury stitched on the sideline and played on until deep into the second half, when a knock to the head left him concussed and unable to continue.
Shelford, who went on to play 22 Tests and captain the All Blacks, said he always suspected some of the French were on drugs, an allegation made in a book by investigative journalist Pierre Ballester.
“When I came out of the tunnel and I saw them, I looked into the eyes of many of the players as I walked past them, and their eyes did not say that they were going into a game against the All Blacks,” he told Radio New Zealand.
“Their eyes just looked like they were on something, and I could not prove it.”
The French team doctor at the time, Jacques Mombet, told Ballester that the Nantes Test was the most obvious example of French players using amphetamines.
He said New Zealand realised their opponents were “loaded” and made a complaint to the International Rugby Board, which eventually led to a clampdown.
Ballester wrote that he asked the doctor whether that meant rugby legends such as Serge Blanco, Philippe Sella and Pierre Berbizier were involved. All played in the New Zealand game.
“No, not them. Or at least it was very exceptional,” the doctor was quoted as saying.
France’s rugby establishment, including Blanco, the current French Rugby Federation vice president, did not immediately react to the allegations.
Former French prop Laurent Benezech said in 2013 that drug-taking in rugby in the 1980s was the same as in cycling.
Others like ex-France coach Bernard Laporte, have also acknowledged that drugs were taken.
Laporte told a French parliament hearing in 2013 that players took drugs without knowing they were banned.
Jean-Pierre Elissalde, a former French scrum half and whose playing career lasted from 1973-88, said in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper that “the sports world was stuffed with drugs in the 1970s and 1980s.”
Ballester wrote a 2004 book on disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong in which he was among the first to publicly make drug allegations against the seven-time Tour de France champion.
His rugby book, “Rugby a Charges, l’enquete choc” (The case against rugby) is released in France on March 5.
Ballester’s book also casts doubt on the use of supplements by some current players. He said some substances could not be detected or were so new they were not yet known.
44bottles
Roar Guru
Don't you understand bro, because it's a FRENCH doctor and a FRENCH reporter commenting on the FRENCH team, they all cancel out, so it's NEW ZEALAND's fault. Do you even English?
Kiwi in US
Guest
My feelings were not hurt but bottled water was quite laughable in NZ during that period. I'll tell you what was not laughable, was two years later I did a stint in North Queensland, working on banana plantations, based south of Tully and there was a general store some miles west of the highway which had methalated spirits in the refrigerator next to the soft drinks. Now that was third world mate. Wally beauty cracker. Really enjoyed my time working there. Met some very good ozzies and appreciated the pub shout on Friday night at The Top Pub.
pjm
Roar Rookie
Sounds like someones feelings were hurt.
Jerry
Guest
Oh, and the Armstrong comparison is completely bogus. Different drug, different effects.
Jerry
Guest
Can you know for certain? No. Can you make a reasonable guess based on the evidence? Yes. Was he right? It seems quite possible that he was.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Well at best you can 'guess' someone is on drugs or not by looking in their eyes but in no way you can tell he is. If it was the case don't you think governments would save millions of dollars in drug testing and just 'look in everyone's eyes' and arrest us or not? You've blokes who just switch on 30min before a game, smash doors, head-butt or slap each others and become different ppl then swich off after the game. how they do it I don't know but I have seen enough of them (who weren't on drugs...or were they?) to honestly say I just can't tell who's taking what. B Buck is making an informal comment but put on paper it gives it an official flavour which imo it doesn't deserve. To say "I could see it in their eyes" is imo almost a figure of speech. Did he know for sure? of course not, doctors themselves wouldn't know! It has taken over a decade to convict Armstrong who had the eyes, suspicious blood tests and so on, so looking at someone's eyes is at best an indication. my 2 cents anyway.
Cynical Play
Guest
..then he did Jeff Wilson !!
richard
Guest
Yes Jerry,.but you've got to give nick his due - it's not the worst point.I mean.the haka was originally used to gee up Maori warriors before they go into battle.Why couldn't the same principle apply to the ABs.Just a theory.
Pat
Guest
I am sorry this comment is so late but I only saw this article today when my grandson showed it to me on his computer.I first met Kevin Skinner in 1940 when we both started at St Kevins College in Oamaru. As we both boxed and played rugby we became firm friends and kept in touch for over seventy years until he passed away last year.During that time I heard him speak of the two tests he played in 1956 many times [often at school reunions when we had all imbibed very freely] and at no time did he ever suggest that they had taken any type of pills before these tests.I therefore find it unbelievable that he would confide this information to someone he didn't know well.
Jeff
Guest
Now I understand it all Eljay.You are a journalist by training.That must be why you didn't seem to understand that it was a French author and the French Rugby team doctor who were making these allegations and not the ABs [Pot calling Kettle black] You are just doing what all journalists do.Selecting part of the story and highlighting it.
wardad
Guest
Absolutely 'pinning ' its called.
wardad
Guest
No you need to make monosyllabic simple for him .
kkiwwii
Guest
Haha looks like you've got third world intelligence with that comment
jemainok
Guest
Trent a Frenchman said the team was on drugs. Buck just agreed with them. No one is making an excuse, but you see what you want I guess.
Trent Marshall
Guest
Oh big Buck says they cheated so it must be so aye. You lost. France owned the All Blacks in that test, taking big Buck's balls with them.
Jerry
Guest
To be fair, they look pretty drunk.
pjm
Roar Rookie
The haka has only recently been taken seriously. Some of the earlier stuff is cringe worthy. http://youtu.be/89h49kubZI4?t=59s
Jerry
Guest
Er, it's not that unusual to be able to tell someone is on drugs by looking in their eyes. I'm also fairly sure amphetamines were illegal (or at least regulated) in the 80's in most countries, I'd imagine France would be included.
mace22
Guest
You've got that right.
atlas
Guest
Simple enough for you? Shelford is commenting on the French report "The French team doctor at the time, Jacques Mombet, told Ballester that the Nantes Test was the most obvious example of French players using amphetamines" Shelford's job at the time - amateur days remember - was as a fitness instructor for the NZ Navy he may have a little more insight than forum experts 30 years later. In 2009 he was made patron of New Zealand Defence Force rugby.