French coach Jacques Brunel has done a U-turn over his accusation that the All Blacks used dirty tactics in their 52-11 win in Auckland on Saturday night.
Brubel vehemently attacked the All Blacks in a post-match press conference rant, after try-scoring winger Remy Grosso suffered a fracture to the head.
Grosso was hammered in a two-man tackle midway through the second half by All Blacks duo Sam Cane and Ofa Tuungafasi that, in fairness, should have resulted in a yellow card or worse for one or debatably both forwards.
Brunel described the tackle as 'dangerous' and 'illegal', but he has retracted his statements, after reviewing the tackle in a post-match video session.
Speaking to Rugbyrama, Brunel stated the first angle he saw suggested it was a dangerous tackle, but other vision had convinced him otherwise.
"On the first image, I said illicit,” he said. “On the second, I think it's accidental.
“Although, in the same vein, I think Gabrillagues' yellow card is hard," he said.
Brunel had every reason to be frustrated with how the second half played out, given the yellow card dished out to French lock Paul Gabrillagues for a high tackle on Ryan Crotty, despite initial contact being below the shoulders of the All Black second-five.
Referee Luke Pearce, officiating his first top-tier test, instinctively reached for the pocket, rather than defer to his TMO for advice.
Replays probably would have spared Gabrillagues 10 minutes in the sin-bin and potentially the All Blacks from scoring 12-points in the time he was off the park.
The incident proved a massive turn in momentum on the night, as the All Blacks turned an 11-11 deadlock into a 41-point win.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen denied his team used dirty tactics, claiming those accusations had been thrown at New Zealand for 100 years.
On Sunday, Tuungafasi used social media as a public apology for the tackle.
Grosso will head home once cleared to fly by team doctors .
Newshub.
