In the end, it was a supreme exhibition of the rugby fraternity closing ranks to protect one of its own and preserve the reputation of the game following weeks of scandal rather than a probing disciplinary hearing.
Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio left Twickenham yesterday with a slap on the wrists and a £15,000 fine for bringing the game into disrepute after bragging to News of the World reporters about alleged drug taking on the 1997 British Lions tour of South Africa.
Dallaglio admitted the charge, but a more serious one, that he took an ecstasy tablet and cocaine while in Johannesburg had already been dropped.
Dallaglio, 27, emerged with his lawyer, George Carman QC, with praise and wishes still ringing in his ears from prosecutors, defenders and judge after one of the most amicable disciplinary hearings in sporting history. A high court judge, Sir Oliver Popplewell, who presided over the hearing, announced the fine and then wished Dallaglio and the England team success in the forthcoming World Cup.
News of the World
Richard Lissack QC, prosecuting for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said they did not seek suspension and hoped the fine and the £10,000 costs would not impose hardship on Dallaglio who earns £200,000 a year as a player. Immediately after the hearing Wasps, Dallaglio's club, handed out statements announcing that he had been reinstated as captain. Dallaglio is now likely to play for England against Canada on Saturday and become a key player in the World Cup team.
But as rugby breathed a sigh of relief that England would not be without one of its best players for the World Cup, which begins in five weeks time, the News of the World stood resolutely by its story.
It said in a statement: "We believe the Rugby Football Union's verdict to fine Lawrence Dallaglio for bringing the game into disrepute totally vindicates our investigation. Three months after the News of the World first published this story, Lawrence Dallaglio has still not provided any credible explanation for his conduct."
Dallaglio resigned the England captaincy within 24 hours of the publication of the allegations and admitted having experimented with drugs in his youth.
Following one of the most embarrassing scandals to hit rugby in recent years, yesterday's hearing not only shed light on the practices employed by tabloid newspapers but also left several crucial questions unanswered regarding the affair itself.
The hearing was told that the allegations centred on a News of the World report on May 23 which claimed Dallaglio took drugs in the presidential suite of Johannesburg's Inter-Continental hotel with two other players, and that he had been a drug dealer in his younger days.
It emerged that Dallaglio had lied to an earlier inquiry about ever being at the hotel. Mr Lissack told yesterday's hearing: "Dallaglio chose not to reveal the truth about the events of that night. He was seeking to preserve the personal confidences of others with him. Dallaglio now accepted that he and others were at a party in the suite.
The newspaper based its story on conversations with Dallaglio recorded by reporters posing as Gillette executives interested in signing a £1m sponsorship deal . Mr Lissack said: "Two journalists obtained the material covertly through an elaborate and sophisticated trap into which Mr Dallaglio fell. They posed as the senior executives of a large multi-national corporation ... the purpose was to lure him into talking in lurid detail about all the extremes of his life, particularly drugs."
A third journalist, posing as the head of a sports promotion company, initially approached Ashley Woolfe, Dallaglio's agent, with the supposed sponsorship offer from Gillette. False headed note paper, with address and telephone number, was used to send faxes to Mr Woolfe outlining the proposal and a meeting was arranged between two "executives" and Dallaglio.
Using the names James Tunstall and Louise Wood, the journalists first met Dallaglio on April 22.
The player and his agent had already been warned that they "worked hard and played hard" and that Dallaglio should do everything to humour them if he wanted to secure the deal.
Mr Carman told the hearing: "Is he (Dallaglio) to be blamed for being anxious to secure a contract like this. He was following the guidance of his own agent. He was incited and provoked by them to go along with them in order to get the contract."
The first meeting took place at the London Hilton, where the trio drank champagne, and references were made to drugs.
Mr Carman told the hearing: "Afterwards he (Dallaglio) received telephone calls from the woman asking him to join her. During a second call she said she was in Paddington, London and asked him to join her for fun. Each time he declined."
At dinner during a second meeting, at the Conrad hotel, Chelsea on May 21, the two journalists talked about sex and drugs and asked Dallaglio if he could provide drugs.
Sexual qualities
Mr Carman said: "Tunstall started talking about the sexual qualities of the woman journalist. He talked about her breasts, her underclothing and then the question of drugs was introduced.
"He (Dallaglio) had been encouraged to go along and humour them. Eventually he talked about his previous use of drugs. Lawrence Dallaglio was making it plain that in his position it was inappropriate for him to now take drugs. He talked about an earlier involvement with drugs. It was a gross, elaborate and unfair entrapment of the worst kind, providing a circulation boost to a national tabloid."
The hearing was told there was no evidence to suggest Dallaglio had taken drugs while a professional player and that he had made up the South African incident to secure the sponsorship deal.
When the News of the World article appeared, Dallaglio was in Bath with his partner and two children. With the media camped outside his house, he stayed at the home of England rugby coach Clive Woodward for a few weeks.
Dallaglio has three months to pay his fine but is entitled to appeal. Mr Carman said afterwards that Dallaglio would be suing the Mail on Sunday for an article in June alleging he snorted cocaine in a west London bar after a Wasps match.