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Dean Richards ran Harlequins with an iron fist, creating a climate of fear that left Tom Williams afraid his career at the club would be over if he didn't fake an injury in the notorious "Bloodgate" match.
Richards's reptuation, already tarnished by a three-year ban from rugby, took another hammering today as the full details were released by the ERC of Williams's successful appeal against a 12-month ban for faking the injury.
The transcript also revealed how the club attempted to persuade Williams to agree to a damage limitation approach to his appeal by offering him a new contract and a job after he retired from playing.
Williams sat in front of the disciplinary appeal hearing with Richards in the same room and lay bare the unhealthy atmosphere that the former England No8 had created.
As a result of Richards's regime, Williams claimed he had no option but to agree to bite on a joke shop blood capsule to allow Nick Evans to return to the Heineken Cup tie against Leinster in April as a blood replacement.
The decision to cheat led to Richards being banned for three years with a two-year ban for physio Steph Brennan, who handed over the capsule, and a £260,000 fine for Quins, who admitted four other incidents of faked injuries but will face no further action.
Williams said he agreed to use the capsule because he was "so programmed to Dean's authority" and insisted he had " no real choice."
His evidence leaves Richards cast as the villain, and the full back said: "If I didn't take the capsule I thought that Dean might refuse to play me again. This could spell the end of my career at Harlequins.
"There was no doubt Dean was the boss and he ran the show. I don't think I have ever seen any player challenge Dean's authority."
The capsule from a Clapham Junction joke shop that led to 'Bloodgate' probe
Read the full appeal transcript here (pdf)
Reader views (2)
If someone at the club had had the guts to stand up to Dean Richards' bullying and given him a 'cut lip' months ago, or a year or two ago, then this sordid event would never have happened.
- Rj, Notts, 26/08/2009 00:14
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I see no evidence of a reign of fear! Observations from one player who wouldn't get his sentence reduced by saying "Dean Richards asked me to fake an injury, so I said OK!"
- David, Teddington, 25/08/2009 17:10
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