This story was first published on Wednesday October 24
Mark Hammett's character during his short stint in charge of the Cardiff Blues has had fresh revelations shone on it with one player revealing the former Hurricanes coach used his ability to get rid of All Blacks as a threat.
Welsh hooker Matthew Rees said Hammett's tenure was doomed from the start in his new book, Matthew Rees: Reasons2Smile.
Hammett departed the Hurricanes after four seasons in charge to join Cardiff as their director of rugby on a three-year-deal in 2014 but left the job after just six months.
Rees, a player for Cardiff at the time, shared his first interaction with Hammett when he joined the club which he said was an eye-opener about the coach's character.
"After the initial pleasantries had been exchanged, Hammett asked me bluntly: 'How close are you to Gethin Jenkins – are you mates?'" he wrote.
"I replied by saying I'd known Melon since junior rugby and we were good friends. What he said next, I couldn't believe – he asked me if I felt that Melon needed to change as a character.
"I was stunned: a man who'd been on three Lions tours, played for his country for many years and captained them many times, and was so highly thought of by his peers, and I was being asked if he needed to change."
After telling Hammett Jenkins didn't need to change, Rees said the Kiwi coach replied: "Bear in mind, I got rid of Andrew Hore and Ma'a Nonu at the Hurricanes."
"The message I took from that was that it was going to be his way and no compromises, no matter what your status in the game," Rees wrote.
Hammett has since joined the Tasman Mako and Highlanders as an assistant coach after a short stint with the Sunwolves in 2016.
SHARE ME