A Wallabies legend has revealed how a shocking mistake made by Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle made him change his mind and support Israel Folau.
Former Australia captain Nick Farr-Jones, 57, had planned to advise Folau to apologise over his social media posts in which he said homosexuals and other perceived sinners were destined for hell.
But after meeting with the 30-year-old, Farr-Jones said he has changed his mind on the need for Folau to apologise.
Former Wallabies captain Nick Farr-Jones, 57 (pictured), was planning to advise Folau to apologise over his social media posts before meeting with the under-fire superstar
A Rugby Australia panel has found Israel Folau guilty of a 'high-level' breach of player's code
Folau reached out to 1991 World Cup-winning skipper Farr-Jones, a fellow committed Christian, a fortnight ago and flew back to Sydney from Adelaide to seek his counsel.
'I had a lot of difficult and hard questions (for him),' Farr-Jones told Seven's Sunrise on Wednesday, the day after a code of conduct hearing found Folau had committed a 'high level' breach of his Rugby Australia contract by making the post.
'But after 90 minutes, I felt that I knew the man. I thought I knew the authenticity of the man and I certainly understood his beliefs.'
Folau took to Instagram last month to proclaim 'hell awaits' for 'drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolators' - a quote from 1 Corinthians in the Bible.
Rugby Australia said it had formally warned Folau against making inflammatory social media comments last year before awarding him his new four-year, $4 million contract.
It's not the first time Israel Folau has been in hot water for expressing his views on social media
But Farr-Jones said Folau disputes how strongly that message was conveyed by Ms Castle and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.
Castle met with Folau in London prior to November's Test against England and he was advised on writing about his beliefs in a respectful, non-offensive way, according to Farr-Jones.
'She proposed to him, say something like 'heaven awaits those who repent from their sins'. Tip-toeing around what he said,'
