Cheika: I don’t expect an apology
Oz coach denies rivalry at all-time low after ABs security guard arrested over bug
Prickly Australian rugby coach Michael Cheika says he always knew inferences of Wallaby dirty tricks in the All Black bugging case would be proved false.
He said it was unpleasant being grilled by police over the matter but wasn’t surprised by the arrest this week of a security consultant attached to the All Blacks.
Adrian Gard, 51, who has been with the All Blacks in Australia for 10 years, was arrested on a “public mischief” charge, which under New South Wales law means misleading police.
Gard works with his brother Ashley for BGI Security. The firm’s website says it has provided services for celebrities such as Sir Elton John, TV-host Oprah Winfrey, rock legends Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood, actors Hugh Jackman, Keanu Reeves, Jude Law and Russell Crowe, socialite Paris Hilton and the late George Michael.
The company also provided security at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Yesterday, the Daily Telegraph in Sydney said police would allege Gard planted the bugging device in the All Blacks’ hotel room last August before ostensibly finding it.
The bug was found while the All Blacks prepared to play the Wallabies in a Sydney Bledisloe Cup match. Cheika was angered by assumption that his team were involved.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen but I knew one thing was definite: the inferences we were involved, that was ridiculous and I knew that wasn’t the case,” Cheika said.
Asked if he felt vindicated given the cloud that had lingered over the head of Australian rugby during a lengthy police investigation, Cheika said: “Maybe I don’t feel that cloud because I always knew what the truth is.”
NSW police attended the offices of the Australian Rugby Union during their investigations to interview Cheika and other staff members.
“It is not nice to have to answer questions from police and stuff like that, for something you have absolutely nothing to do with,” Cheika said.
After All Blacks coach Steve Hansen issued a statement saying Gard’s charges were “bizarre” and “hard to believe”, there have been calls in Australia for the New Zealand Rugby Union to instead apologise to their Wallaby counterparts.
Cheika said he didn’t think that was necessary.
“They made their call . . . they made their play and police have shown that to be a different outcome to maybe what that inference was,” he said. “I don’t expect anything like an apology or anything else.”
“It is what it is, and to make a charge, they have obviously done their homework on it. I certainly didn’t think that would happen. I will be interested to see what happens from here but it is pretty much water under the bridge as far as I am concerned.
“The reactions were real at the time but it is nothing that is going to stick in my mind for too long.”
Relations with their New Zealand counterparts are now frosty but Cheika rejected suggestions they were at an all-time low. He said he still enjoyed good relationships with New Zealand coaching rivals.
“It is a shame that was the situation around the bug and that’s the way it went down. At the end of the day I don’t see that there is an all-time low or anything.
“We are opponents and the only people who have to improve in that respect is us, on the field. It doesn’t matter about off the field.”
Gard’s charges were met with disbelief among those in the industry.
Wayne Tempero, who used to guard internet tycoon Kim Dotcom, said: “I don’t understand what’s gone wrong.”