Walla-bans: six of the best suspended for a Test, nine more disciplined for booze up
Walla-bans: six of the best suspended for a Test, nine more disciplined following boozy night out
Jamie Pandaram in Edinburgh The Courier-Mail November 18, 2013 9:42PM
SIX Wallabies players have been suspended and a further nine have been officially warned after a boozy night out in Dublin last week.
In an extraordinary punishment handed down by coach Ewen McKenzie, stars Adam Ashley-Cooper, Nick Cummins, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson, Liam Gill and Paddy Ryan have been given a one-week ban.
All except Ryan will miss this week's Test against Scotland, leaving the Wallabies in disarray, having won just five Tests all year.
Under IRB rules, each team must name four props so Ryan will play this week, then miss next week's Test against Wales.
A further nine were given stern warning by McKenzie in the form of a letter (Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Saia Fainga'a, Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps) and verbally (Scott Fardy, Mike Harris, Ben McCalman and Nic White).
McKenzie said there had been no public complaints about the players' behaviour, but he's looking to make a hard-line statement to his under-achieving side, who coincidentally produced their best performance of the year by defeating Ireland 32-15 last weekend.
The players went out for dinner in different groups last Tuesday night, and then the 15 culprits decided to kick on at other bars, returning at various stages of early Wednesday morning.
While there is no alcohol ban in place and no official curfew, and the team had a day off on Wednesday, all players are expected to limit their booze intake and return at a reasonable hour in the week of a big game.
"Everyone in our squad is required to comply with and adhere to high standards of ethical conduct both on and off the field," McKenzie said.
"Those standards were compromised in the lead-up to Saturday's victory over Ireland with a group of players making the decision to stay out late and consume inappropriate levels of alcohol during the early hours of Wednesday morning.
"The Wallabies, in conjunction with the ARU, have decided to take significant action in a quest to drive the highest standards off the field.
"Let's be clear - these are internal sanctions and aren't a result of any complaints or reports of inappropriate or sinister behaviour while our players were out.
"Instead, we have chosen to address an issue that has come up internally and we are now being up-front about it."
McKenzie came into the job after the disastrous British & Irish Lions series, when the culture of the group was questioned under previous coach Robbie Deans, who selected James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale after they had been out at 4am days before the second Test.
"We've done this because we need to continually reinforce the need for our players to make smart decisions to benefit the team," McKenzie said.
"The worst thing you could do for the Wallabies in the long-term is do nothing because that would mean we would be ignoring poor culture and a significant performance issue.
"We will always take action in relation to examples of poor culture when it's warranted - doing nothing to address poor behaviour will never be an option. We've taken on the challenge of re-defining our team culture.
"This is not a simple process but it needs to happen so we can have a chance to be the best team we can be.
"Already this year we've spent a lot of time being crystal clear around behaviours to ensure we are in a position to take the step-up to the next level.
"The reality is that if we are going to reach these levels, the players need to be making the right decisions as professional athletes and need to do everything possible to perform at their best for each Test.
"We also need to recognise the players who are doing the right thing and ensure our behaviours are in-line with the expectations of our stakeholders and our fan base."
In a year when the ARU has been forced to slash its budgets due to low public interest, resulting in less income, this is the last thing Australian rugby needs.
McKenzie said his sanctions would not be used as an excuse this weekend against Scotland.
"There is no doubt having talented players unavailable will put this team under significant pressure but we won't be using this situation as an excuse," he said.
"For us, this is a great opportunity to circle the wagons and re-calibrate our behaviours to get back on track off the field.
"I am disappointed on a personal level, but firm action is the best outcome when presented with a scenario like this. You need to deal with issues to ensure everyone can be accountable for their actions."
SUSPENDED FOR SCOTLAND TEST
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Nick Cummins
Tatafu Polota-Nau
Benn Robinson
Liam Gill
SUSPENDED FOR WALES TEST
Paddy Ryan
WRITTEN WARNING
Dave Dennis
Kane Douglas
Saia Fainga'a
Bernard Foley
Nick Phipps
VERBAL WARNING
Scott Fardy
Mike Harris
Ben McCalman
Nic White
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF EWEN McKENZIE'S ACTIONS? HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW.
Read more: http://www.couriermail.com.au/rugby/...#ixzz2kzeVsrEa
