New claims have surfaced about the real reason All Blacks prop Keith Murdoch was kicked off the tour of Britain in 1972.
It has always been alleged the fearsome front-rower had become involved in a late night incident in Cardiff's Angel Hotel and punched a security guard.
Murdoch was reportedly sent home by All Blacks manager Ernie Todd for hitting hotel employee Peter Grant after the All Blacks' 19-16 victory over Wales 47 years ago.
He never arrived in New Zealand, reportedly switching flights during a stop in Singapore and disappearing into the Australian outback where it emerged he died in March last year at the age of 74.
But now Todd's daughter Moyra Pearce alleges the real reason Murdoch was sent home was because he threatened and pursued a woman in the hotel, and her father's actions actually saved him from police prosecution. She claims it was then covered up for nearly 50 years, during which time Todd was criticised by some for delivering the harsh punishment.
"A female staff member would not open the bar for Murdoch," Pearce told NZ Stuff.
"He became abusive. She ran from him screaming into the kitchen and he pursued her before security staff intervened.
"We (the family) were told that charges were going to be pressed. But the police said if you get him out of the country before our offices open on Monday morning, we won't press charges."
You can read the full remarkable story of what happened to Murdoch after left Wales and became one of the most mysterious figures in rugby history here.
Pearce's story emerged on the weekend in New Zealand when author Ron Palenski was talking about his book Murdoch - The All Black Who Never Returned .
Publication of the book persuaded Pearce to speak out on an incident she was told about after her father died of cancer in 1974.
"It's for me a question of justice and ending the colluding and the silence," she said.
"I needed to break the silence we've held (as a family) for too long. There have been enough other views. I didn't know Ron was writing the book. He didn't talk to us. It was the same with the play about Murdoch.
"When the book came out I thought, 'not again.' I didn't want to know about it. At first I could only read the chapter about my father but I've now read the book twice.
"I prepared over and over again in my head, but I still didn't know if I was going to be brave enough.
"All I can ask is that this story is not sensationalised. I am very mindful that there is another family involved here."
Asked why it had taken so long for the family to tell their story, Pearce said, "Keith Murdoch had been shamed. Who wanted to make that worse? We all colluded."
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