Dawson apologetic over diary comments
July 2, 2001

Scrum half Matt Dawson has spoken of his regret over his criticsm of the Lions' management in his tour diary for a British newspaper.

In his weekend column for The Daily Telegraph he described Lions coach Graham Henry as "uninspiring" and accused tour manager Donal Lenihan of treating the squad "like kids".

Despite his column going to press on the eve of the Lions first Test last Saturday, it did not prevent the tourists from sweeping their Australian hosts aside, 29-13.

The matter has now been dealt with by the Lions management and his punishment will now be meted out by a players' court - behind closed doors.

"I have had to contend with the great low of seeing the reaction to the article I had written in the Daily Telegraph and cope with the realisation of what I had done," he said in his column on Monday.

"I was disappointed in myself for taking the gloss off what had been a fantastic evening for all concerned. I let myself down, but more importantly I let the squad down.

"There were things mentioned in the diary that should have remained confidential. I put in jeopardy the trust and confidence that had built up within the whole group. That means a lot to me. What makes me really tick is the sense of being part of a group. I like to be liked and I like to give my all for those around me. That was put under strain and I'm disappointed it came to that."

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