Bloodgate: the evidence of Harlequins wing Tom Williams' faked injury
Tom Williams is accompanied off the picth by physio Steph Brennan with five minutes to play. Photo: Getty Images
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Read about the crucial evidence from the final minutes of Harlequins' Heineken Cup match against Leinster that condemned the club's director of rugby Dean Richards, physio Steph Brennan and wing Tom Williams.
74:53
With five minutes left and Leinster leading 6-5, the game is stopped for a knock-on. Wing Tom Williams jogs back in front of his own posts. What happens next scandalised rugby.
74:56
Williams reaches down to the top of his right sock and pulls out a fake-blood capsule, taken on to the pitch at the instruction of director of rugby Dean Richards. Although Sky had a wide-angle camera which continued to film throughout the incident, viewers were shown cut-away shots of the crowd and the touchline while the saga unfolded.
74:59
While referee Nigel Owens sets a scrum and Harlequins physio Steph Brennan treats scrum-half Danny Care, who has gone down with an injury, Williams bites off half of the capsule and drops suddenly on to one knee. He looks around nervously as he chews on it. The ERC panel were shown close-ups of the moment he takes the blood capsule into his mouth although the image is heavily pixelated.
75:02
In a moment of high farce, Williams then drops half of the capsule as he was attempting to place it in his mouth. He is seen hurriedly reaching down to retrieve it. He puts it into his mouth, bites on it and then theatrically puts his hand to his head as if he has received a blow.
75:06
As Williams is putting the second part of the capsule into his mouth, a team-mate walks towards him, apparently to check on his condition. At the last moment he swerves away as he realises what the wing is doing. Meanwhile, nearer the touchline, Owens blows his whistle to stop the clock, and the deception plays out on the Harlequins bench. Brennan walks away from Care and heads towards Williams. Before Brennan reaches Williams, kicker Nick Evans is on the touchline preparing to return to the game.
75:23
Brennan now jogging towards him to 'treat' the phantom injury, Williams rolls on to his side as if injured. Brennan makes no attempt to look into the wing's mouth but 'helps' him to his feet. As they walk towards the touchline Williams feigns grogginess and appears to develop a limp.
74:48
Only after walking 25 yards and fully 30 seconds after first addressing Williams's 'injury' does Brennan finally look into the wing's mouth to assess the supposed cut. He sprays in water, increasing the volume of 'blood', and then accompanies him off the field with blood now clearly flowing. Sky viewers return to the action at this point, just in time to see Williams wink at the bench.
© Telegraph.co.uk
- Paul Kelso
