Dan Carter hits out at French media

Dan Carter has hit out at the French media after he and two team-mates were cleared of the doping allegations made by the press yesterday.
The former All Black, along with Racing 92 team-mates Joe Rokocoko and Juan Imhoff were cleared of any anti-doping breaches by the French Rugby Federation but not before having their names dragged through the mud by the French media.
French sports newspaper L’Equipe had reported that traces of corticosteroids were found in urine samples given after last season’s Top 14 final victory against Toulon in Barcelona.
The trio maintained their innocence throughout and were supported by their club who insisted the injections were in accordance with anti-doping laws.
Carter said: “I guess the process has been a little bit disappointing, how it’s been dragged out through the media.
“It’s been tough because there’s been confidential information being leaked. It’s disappointing to have to try and defend yourself when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
The double World Cup winner went on to make a point of highlighting the differences between the coverage of the case by French media and the media from his homeland.
“Back home in New Zealand they saw the story, they’ve seen that I hadn’t broken any doping regulations. And after 24 hours there was no longer a story.
“It seemed to drag on here in France. I don’t really know why because I don’t read the papers or listen to the news, so I don’t really know anything about the debate, but I was a little surprised how long it’s gone on for compared to back home in New Zealand.”
Carter took the injection after sustaining some inflammation in his knee following his sides win over Clermont in the Top 14 semi-final last year.
“The next day I had inflammation in my knee. I had the injection. I rested for two days. And then after that rest I was fit to play and I played.
The 2015 World Player of the Year insisted that he had tried and failed with other treatments before resorting to using the injection.
“I tried these things to help reduce inflammation like icing and things, but you know, when there’s something available to use that’s not outside the antidoping regulations, then I think it would be silly not to use that,” he said.
It was revealed by Carter that he had used a corticoids injection at the 2015 Rugby World Cup before the All Blacks semi-final victory over South Africa but that he has never seen breaches of doping in rugby.
ED HUTSON