Madam, - The best that can be said about the perpetrators of the assault on Brian O'Driscoll is that they are not hypocrites. They knew exactly what they had set out to do, what they did, and with that mindset could not in conscience approach the victim to enquire about his well-being, let alone wish him well as he was being carted off.
Such behaviour - which could have fatal results - cannot be glossed over as part of the game of rugby. Rugby owes it to itself and to the rest of the sporting world, not to mention the world generally, to make a telling example of this atrocious happening.
How the test series can continue following that assault beggars belief. Brian and the players no doubt would want "to get on" with the game but the implications of that action last Saturday puts it beyond the players and into the proper management of rugby and sport generally.
The Haka used to be entertaining. It has now gone beyond that and into tribal warfare with a vengeance. It belongs to a different world and no longer serves a proper purpose. It should be finished with for the sake of the game. - Yours, etc,
TED O'KEEFFE,
Sandford Road,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.
Madam, - Do we accept a very dangerous spearing injury, wait for a catastrophic neck injury, or do we make a moral stand and bring Brian O'Driscoll and his warriors home?
Should he consider legal advice regarding his assault? - Yours, etc,
CHANTELLE MACNAMARA, MB, Ballybricken, Waterford.
Madam, - In response to the considerable media noise regarding the lack of apology from All Black captain Tana Umaga for the injury suffered by Brian O'Driscoll in the first test last weekend, I can only say that we play our rugby hard down this part of the world, with vigour, and nil quarter given or expected.
Therefore, while I do not believe there was any malicious intent in the incident, we are of course sorry that it has had such a devastating impact upon Brian's tour. So, as a fifth-generation Kiwi, I would like to apologise to Brian O'Driscoll and all of Ireland on behalf of all New Zealanders, our All Black rugby team, and All Black captain Umaga.
Our only national newspaper made the incident its main front-page story on Monday morning - that's how seriously we take it down here. I would also like to assure you all that there is no truth to the rumours that the All Blacks targeted O'Driscoll for his response to the haka. Far from insulting the haka, Brian O'Driscoll responded in the best manner that any opposing captain ever has in the history of international rugby.- Yours, etc,
ALLAN J MCEVOY, Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand.
Madam, - People with obviously little or no rugby experience are over-reacting to the O'Driscoll incident, which I saw as totally fair and part of the game in which these highly paid sportsmen are involved. Any player would have received the same treatment were he at the same place and time. The Lions would have done well to enter the game with as much aggression as the All Blacks did.
Both the match officials and the IRB have cleared the two players involved. If the Lions management, team and supporters feel they have been hard done by, so be it. Nothing is going to change the verdict now, or the injury. So instead of taking a "Sir Clive" attitude towards the incident, they would be better to focus on squaring the series in Wellington this weekend. - Yours, etc,
DEREK BILLINGS, Terenure, Dublin 6.