Shame

The news that French centre Mathieu Bastareaud was beaten up in Wellington the night after the 2nd Test against the All Blacks was pretty shocking.

If it was just a mugging then Monsieur Bastardo (as Austin Healy referred to him in the 6 Nations) can count himself very unlucky indeed and I guess it could have happened anywhere. If, however, he was beaten up by Kiwi rugby "fans" simply because he was recognised as a French rugby player (as has been suggested) then that's a far more worrying and sinister development, especially after the news that French players were pelted with plastic bottles by a group of New Zealand spectators after the 1st Test in Dunedin.

This sort of thuggery is the last thing New Zealand needs ahead of the 2011 World Cup.

"This is not typical behaviour for the vast majority of New Zealanders or our rugby fans," said a NZRU spokesman.

Let's hope not, eh?