Photographer snaps All Blacks game plan

BY DUNCAN JOHNSTONE IN MELBOURNE

All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen has said the photographer that snapped an image of coach Graham Henry holding a page of notes broke the trust between team and media.

Australian newspapers have published photographs of what appear to be All Blacks tactics for Saturday night's clash with the Wallabies in Melbourne.

Photo agency Getty Images snapped a page of notes being held by Henry at the team's training in Melbourne yesterday.

In an ironic twist to the controversy the shot was taken by Scott Barbour, a New Zealand photographer now based in Australia.

The image had highlighted notes of All Blacks moves from scrum and lineout situations.

"At the end of the day you guys and photographers come to training and there are a few unwritten rules and the photographer has breached the trust. There's no too much we can do about it," Hansen said.

"The good thing about it yesterday was a defensive training day so we won't have to change our tactics too much.

"There are a whole lot of things that are going to happen on Saturday night and I don't think one photo is going to make too much difference."

Hansen said they were treating this as an isolated incident.

"Most of the time we get great response from people - our guys have been pretty good over the years but every now and then someone makes a mistake and you have to go away and have a talk about it.

He admitted it was an ongoing concern.

"Everyone in world rugby and world sport knows it is a concern."

Last year the All Blacks had TV3's South African camera man removed from a training session in Durban.

The Australian newspaper has pored over the image and concluded the All Blacks plan to target first five Mat Giteau and wing James O'Connor's in defence and nullify the influence of openside flanker David Pocock. It detailed five separate plays.

The Age and Herald Sun newspapers both published the images.

As to any action, Hansen said: "With any breach of trust you take your time and talk about it. It's not the end of the world. We will deal with that in our own way.

"At the end of the day one person has made a mistake taking a photo he probably shouldn't have if he wants to keep coming to training."

When it was suggested some more strict rules should be put in place, Hansen replied: "I think common sense is the key. You can write as many rules as you like but at the end of the day if you don't use common sense, rules don't matter."

The Wallabies were happy to leave the fuss with the All Blacks.

"I wouldn't read too much into it myself. I probably won't bother looking at it," claimed Australian assistant coach Jim Williams.

"It's a picture of training. That's how I will leave it."

When it was mentioned that the tactics sheet referred to what the All Blacks thought the Wallabies would be doing, Williams said: "They are tactics ... you put a bit of focus on the opposition but it's about how you prepare."

As far as media protocol being broken, Williams said it wasn't an issue for the Australian camp.

"It's not really a concern. As a team you prepare the best you can. Those issues are always going to be out there but it's not something that we concentrate on.

"There are always those things about teams watching other teams. If it's done, it's done but it's not something we really concentrate on or really worry about.

"This isn't going to make me take any extra precautions."

The All Blacks play the Wallabies at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night in a Tri-Nations match that doubles as the opening Bledisloe Cup clash of a four-match series between the two trans-Tasman rivals.

- © Fairfax NZ News