Dallaglio sick of the 'blame game'
October 25 2005
Senior Lion tourist attempts to draw a line under disastrous tour
Wasps star Lawrence Dallaglio has attacked the blame culture that has surfaced following the dismal British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
Fall-out from the three-Test trip is continuing, with both Gavin Henson and Matt Dawson making critical comments about Lions head coach Sir Clive Woodward.
Wales star Henson blasted Woodward and tour media consultant Alastair Campbell in a newly-published book, while England scrum-half Dawson has claimed Woodward was wrong to select Jonny Wilkinson for the first Test defeat in Christchurch.
But Dawson's fellow World Cup winner Dallaglio, whose tour ended less than 20 minutes into the first game because of injury, believes it is time to stop carping.
"As a group of people, we all have to accept criticism for what happened," said Dallaglio.
"When you pull that jersey on it's up to you to perform. It is wrong to be playing the blame game.
"Everyone wants to have a say about a tour that finished months and months ago. For me, the tour was over in 10 days, so it's hard to comment on what went on after those 10 days because I was sitting back here.
"Clearly, we were outplayed, out-thought and ultimately beaten 3-0, and that says it all.
"The criticism seems to be pointing in a lot of different directions, but as a player you have to be better than your opposite number, and from 1-50 we weren't," Dallaglio told BBC Radio Five Live.
"There are a lot of guys who went over on that tour with big reputations. Quite frankly, they haven't lived up to those reputations.
"There is a lot of work to do for a lot of those players to get themselves back on track.
"The sensible ones are the ones who are working on their games and keeping their mouths quiet."