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The story below came from Rugby Heaven. It makes you wonder what Michael O'Connor had to say about Matt Henjak, Tai McIsaac, et al over the phone???? Perhaps those WF players who were included in the 59 might know.
Tuqiri sorry for phone prank
Monday, May 14, 2007
Lote Tuqiri has contacted Wallabies selector Michael O'Connor to apologise for his act of stupidity at a NSW Waratahs drinking session - but this time he left his phone off loudspeaker.
Tuqiri left O'Connor red-faced after placing his mobile on loudspeaker during a conversation between the pair last week in which O'Connor was highly critical of Waratahs teammate Peter Hewat.
Hewat and other Waratahs players tuned in to O'Connor's less than complimentary appraisal of Hewat's game, prompting the goalkicking ace to storm out of the bar and not turn up to the team's Mad Monday session the following day.
Not surprisingly given O'Connor's opinion of the embattled fullback, Hewat was omitted from a 59-man Wallabies train-on squad named the same day and now wants out of the final year of his Waratahs contract.
O'Connor said he felt let down by Tuqiri but accepted his apology and didn't want any further action taken against the superstar winger.
"It was really disappointing," he said.
"I've had a phone call from Lote to apologise. He's very contrite about it.
"It was just a terrible thing to happen and I felt personally very disappointed.
"But, anyway, it's happened now and I guess you can't undo it."
While the Waratahs declared the matter a dead issue, Wallabies legend and former NSW captain Nick Farr-Jones branded Tuqiri childish after his prank backfired and brought yet more unwanted publicity on the franchise after the most forgettable of Super 14 seasons.
"It's obviously very immature and a dopey thing done under the influence of grog I suspect," he said.
But Farr-Jones stopped short of proposing disciplinary action for Australian rugby's highest-paid player.
Asked if he thought Tuqiri should be fined for his tomfoolery, Farr-Jones said: "I don't understand the rules and what-have-you but it's a stupid thing to be done and I hope he regrets it".
Hewat, who has continually been overlooked by Wallabies selectors over the past three seasons despite his record-breaking pointscoring deeds for NSW, met with Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie three days after the pub incident seeking a release from his 2008 playing contract.
Hewat is still awaiting an answer from the Waratahs and said he was determined to leave Sydney to take up a big-money deal overseas, most likely with a London club.
The 29-year-old superboot said he had given up on his dream of playing for the Wallabies and that even selection next week in the Australia A squad would not stop him from heading offshore.
"I think the cards have been dealt. I'm obviously not in the top 60 players in Australia so it's hard to see them picking me for Australia A," he said.
"The selectors have obviously got their opinion about me and they're entitled to have their opinion.
"They've clearly made up their minds about me but even if I did get picked (for Australia A), it wouldn't change my stance at all."
Hewat said he wanted to put the pub incident behind him.
"Obviously it's a pretty touchy subject," he said.
The official line from the Waratahs was that Tuqiri had no case to answer, even though it was the second time this season he had humiliated a teammate.
In March, the dual international was condemned for shoving Sam Norton-Knight in the back after Norton-Knight had a brain snap and took a quick tap instead of allowing Hewat the chance to shoot for a last-minute match-winning penalty goal.
NSW captain Adam Freier said the Tuqiri-O'Connor phone conversation had hardly caused a ripple at the Waratahs.
"To be honest, it hasn't been a big issue for us," Freier said.
"I know it sort of got spoken about, that it happened, then it just got moved on.
"I think the issue has been dealt with. As far as I'm concerned, it's a dead issue."
AAP
This story was found at: http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/ar...995068106.html
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Originally Posted by Jamie_S
