Henry blasts Lions pair

Lions coach Graham Henry has criticised Matt Dawson and Austin Healey over their newspaper columns on the recent tour of Australia. In an extract from the book Henry's Pride, which was published in the Mirror at the weekend, Henry said the pair, whose columns caused controversy, had betrayed the team.

"It was common knowledge some players had been offered large sums of money to write a controversial column on the tour," Henry wrote. "I believe our hooker, Keith Wood, turned down a five-figure sum from one of the dailies.

"So it really was an age-old story. Betraying trust, and betraying your mates for 30 pieces of silver."

Dawson made comments about Henry's training methods and management style in a diary, and suggested several players were ready to leave after the first Test.

"All the members of the management were very upset at the personal nature of the criticism," Henry said. "The truth is that none of the players wanted to leave the tour, and anyone who knows me also knows I'm not the sort to rant and rave before a match."

Healey, meanwhile, made disparaging comments about Australian lock Justin Harrison in his newspaper column, before the third Test. Healey described Harrison as a "plod" and a "plank" in the column.

Henry said he was furious when he was told about the column by newspaper reporters. "The more they told me the wider my eyes opened," Henry said. "I was furious. The lesson of Dawson's diary had, apparently, not be learned by everyone.

"For the same crisis to materialise twice was more than careless, it had the touch of saboteur."

Henry blamed the contents of the column on former Wales international and journalist Eddie Butler.

"The mind and motivation behind the column were all Butler's. Healey had without doubt been used," Henry said.