Matt Giteau out partying?

[chook]

Pfft, what a softbok, can't handle his grog. Tah player's like Lote are 'ard.

[RuckNMaul]

"'ard"; Abv, Short for nard, Fecal mater, Turd, Shite, poo

[frontrow]

[Burgs]

Giteau gets Test OK despite collapse

Greg Growden
Friday, July 6, 2007

Wallabies centre Matt Giteau is certain to play in tomorrow night's Test against the Springboks despite collapsing at a Kings Cross nightclub earlier this week.

Giteau was at the Sapphire Suite with Wallabies teammate Stephen Larkham when he suddenly fainted. Shortly afterwards, Giteau left the club and returned to the team hotel in Coogee.

Medical tests by Wallabies team doctor Martin Raftery confirmed Giteau was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Although the player will have further blood tests to determine the actual cause of his collapse, Raftery told the Herald last night that he was in no danger of missing the South Africa clash.

At last night's captain's run at Telstra Stadium, Giteau was full of vim and appeared unaffected by the incident.

Pat Wilson, the head of the Australian Rugby Union's high performance unit, said at training last night that Giteau had "a momentary blackout" at the nightclub on Sunday night.

"Matt was out having a few drinks with the guys, including 'Bernie' [Larkham]. He went to the loo, came out of the loo, and, when he went to go upstairs, had a momentary blackout," Wilson said. "He was assisted to get some fresh air. He got himself into the cab. Bernie sent him a text asking him how he was going. Matt sent him a text back, telling him that he was getting himself back to the team hotel.

"The following morning, he completed the sessions. Martin conducted numerous tests and everything has come up clear."

Raftery said that he had conducted tests on Giteau - including one to determine whether he had been concussed during the Bledisloe Cup Test last Saturday night.

Raftery said: "That wasn't the case. It wasn't alcohol-related. He was OK when I saw him. There was also concern that it may have been drugs, with the possibility of his drink being spiked. I tested him on that later as well, and we can exclude that.

"Tomorrow, we'll get the results of some blood tests which have been done - and I would be very surprised if they're not clear."

Meanwhile, Wallabies loose-head prop Matt Dunning missed last night's training because of a viral infection.

Giteau's collapse a mystery

By Wayne Smith
July 06, 2007

AUSTRALIA officials still do not know what caused Matt Giteau to collapse at a Sydney nightclub last weekend but have ruled out drugs or excessive alcohol as the cause.

Giteau blacked out at the Sapphire Room nightclub in Kings Cross on Sunday evening when he and several team-mates celebrated their stunning 20-15 upset win over New Zealand in Melbourne the previous night.

Steve Larkham, assisted by nightclub security guards, helped Giteau into a taxi at about 12.30am (AEST) and he was driven back to the team's Coogee hotel where he put himself to bed.

Unlike Australian rugby's other "Six Million Man", Lote Tuqiri, who was suspended for two Tests and fined $20,000 for failing to attend team functions on Monday morning, Giteau did not miss any team activities and indeed alerted team doctor Martin Raftery that he had passed out the previous night.

"He wasn't perturbed by it and it was almost a throwaway line when he told me," Raftery said.

While Tuqiri and another Wallabies player were breathalysed on Monday morning, no such test was carried out on Giteau, who has an unblemished disciplinary record with the national team, because there was no evidence that he was in any way affected by alcohol.

"I don't consider this a football or a team issue," Raftery said.

"There was no indication whatever it was caused by alcohol."

Nonetheless, a urine test was ordered to ensure Giteau's drink was not spiked. The results came back negative and Raftery conducted a differential diagnosis, including making certain that the multi-skilled Test utility was not affected by a previously undetected head injury.

"You also look at other medical conditions that in young people might cause something like this, such as diabetes or a kidney disease," Raftery said.

Although he will not receive the results of Giteau's blood tests until later today, Raftery does not expect them to provide an answer.

Asked how often he was aware of a young person collapsing for no apparent reasons, Raftery replied: "Every couple of years in an elite athlete."

The Wallabies' doctor said he had no qualms about passing Giteau fit to play in tomorrow's Tri-Nations Test against South Africa at Telstra Stadium.

Connolly insisted he had no reason to suspect Giteau had collapsed as a result of excessive alcohol.

"He was hardly drinking and he was not breathtested," Connolly said.

"I had Lote breath tested and when another player turned up late to a meeting I had him tested as well. I was on a roll by that stage. But Giteau gave me no cause to put him on the breathalyser."

Pat Wilson, the general manager of the Australian Rugby Union's high performance unit, said after questioning Giteau and other Wallabies about the incident he was satisfied nothing untoward had taken place.

"That's the end of the matter."

[Flamethrower]

[QUOTE=Burgs]"I had Lote breath tested and when another player turned up late to a meeting I had him tested as well. I was on a roll by that stage."[QUOTE]

[Burgs]

Nice one Knuckles!

Seriously though, it's not the most expensive procedure in the world, why wouldn't they have a policy of if one tests over the whole squad tests?
Makes the PR totally transparent then and no hint of a cover up for other players.
Going back to Fava's second infringement, fairly reliable info is that certain senior staff where in the thick of it with him!