Blues coach Pat Lam defends fly half Stephen Brett – Super Rugby update
Auckland based Super Rugby franchise Blues’ head coach, Pat Lam, has jumped in to defend his fly half Stephen Brett ahead of their 2011 Super Rugby championship semi-final against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday,
July 2. Lam made his comments in an interview given on Friday, July 1.
Lam had to intervene after he was told that his out spoken fly half Stephen Brett was in troubled water. Brett was responsible in starting a row with Reds and Wallabies star fly half Quade Cooper before the Blues departure to
Brisbane earlier in the week.
Later, the Australian print and electronic media joined in the off field battle. Several days earlier, a major Australian newspaper had termed Stephen Brett as the “the weakest link” in the Blues side.
Defending his fly half, Lam said, “That's been said all season, the same was said about Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale. Everyone targets the 10.”
Lam added that Brett has the skills to deliver in the fly half positions and expects him to prove his critics wrong with a strong on field performance in Saturday’s clash. He also pointed at his decision to drop Brett after
his poor performance during the Super XV round 14 match against the Stormers.
However, Lam has praised Brett’s hard work, dedication and determination to get back into the starting xv after being dropped from the squad.
Lam further added, “Whenever you drop a player you want to see their reaction from it and since that Chiefs game (when Brett was a second-half substitute) his performances are getting better each game.”
Commenting on ball handling and Brett’s other mistakes, Lam said, “A lot's made of his mistakes but every player makes them. What I want from a player is character and strength of mind and he's shown that in the last three or four weeks.”
Keven Mealamu, Blues captain, also supported Brett before Saturday’s knockout clash.
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