New Zealand hooker Andrew Hore apologised on Thursday for a hit from behind on Wales lock Bradley Davies that resulted in a five-match ban, saying he had let down his team and the entire country.
Sport24
Hore, who will miss Saturday’s Test against England due to the ban, said he was “embarrassed” at his action early in the 33-10 win over Wales last Saturday, which resulted in Davies being taken to hospital.
“It is not the All Black way and I have let myself down and the team and probably the whole country that is pretty proud of what we do,” he told the New Zealand Herald.
Hore said he had personally apologised to Davies in a phone call and he hoped the Welshman, who will miss this weekend’s Test against Australia after suffering concussion from the punch, made a swift recovery.
The 74-Test veteran said senior All Blacks had taken a dim view of his action, which leaves New Zealand lacking an experienced hooker against England with Keven Mealamu likely to miss the Test with a calf injury.
“The All Black management and the leader group that I’m a part of has been pretty stern on me for getting us into this situation and I have to take what I have got and go back and start building a reputation as a good, clean, hard footy player,” he said.
“Hopefully I can do that in the next Super Rugby competition when I get back playing.”
All one can really ask for is for someone to apologise once sanctioned for a rash and in-the-heat-of-the-battle moment of folly.
Well done Andrew, you have shown that you are human, have shown humility and remorse… respect!
Andrew Hore does not have a history of violence on the Rugby field and I will not consider him a rugby thug.
He deserves his 2nd chance and I wish him well in Super Rugby next year.
Hore has always been a very hard grafter on field and a no-compromise player… but that’s the way a good hooker should be, hard as nails and fair and an honest grafter.
Basically Hore will miss this weekend’s All Black match, the 3 Warm-up games of the Highlanders early next year and ony 1 match of the Highlanders regular Super Rugby season for 2013 (opening match).
This means in effect that he did not get a 5-week suspension but rather a 5-MATCH suspension, which makes more sense.
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