Rugby:As Ireland finalise their preparations for tomorrow's Pool C clash with Russia, the issue surrounding their supposed delaying tactics against Australia continues to bubble under the surface.
After Declan Kidney dismissed the notion that Ireland had faked injuries out of hand yesterday following claims from former Wallaby Tim Horan, defence coach Les Kiss was forced to address the issue again during today’s media conference.
"Feigning injuries is an alien concept since I've been involved in the Ireland set-up. It's not something we're about," Kiss said, denying the existence of a deliberate plan to take the momentum out of Australia's game.
"If you call teams going down at a scrum every now and again slowing the game down then every side in the world is at fault. It happens everywhere.
"Certainly slowing down the game in that way is not at the forefront of any strategy we have.”
Horan alleged in a newspaper column that backs coach Alan Gaffney informed him Ireland feigned injuries during the historic 15-6 victory over Australia, an assertion that Kidney branded the allegations as "incredulous and slightly scandalous".
But Horan, who won 80 caps for Australia between 1989 and 2000, is standing by the comments.
"After the game I went down, just outside the dressing rooms and onto the field and Alan Gaffney was there," Horan said. “I know Alan Gaffney very well, we were Wallaby selectors together.
"I had a great chat to him, applauding him for the tactics that they used. I thought they were wonderful tactics in the conditions. I definitely spoke to him. Gaffney's a lovely bloke and I didn't want to drag him into this."
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