In the latest of a series of revelations in his autobiography ’Nine Lives’, serialised in Britain’s Daily Telegraph, Dawson describes his humiliation on that Barbarians tour, and in a separate section, launches a bitter attack on former Springbok and London Irish player Brendan Venter.

Dawson had gone on the 1994 Barbarians tour of Zimbabwe as an uncapped 21-year-old, but his perception of the team was altered after an incident during a traditional rugby tour ’court session’.

"As the youngest player on tour I expected them to have a bit of fun at my expense even if standing in front of the whole squad with my shorts round my ankles leaning forward over a chair preparing to be hit by a seriously spiky object was not exactly what I had in mind.

"They wanted pain. Derwyn Jones, the towering Cardiff and Wales second row, grabbed the leaf and whacked my arse. The blow cut me, blood started to ooze form my cheeks and I exploded in rage.

"Not only physically but mentally I was scarred by the experience. It was very, very odd indeed and upset me," he added.

Dawson also did not mince his words when it came to Brendan Venter who he described as "an out-and-out thug".

"In the world of rugby there is not one person I genuinely dislike other than Brendan Venter," wrote Dawson.

"He is one of the most hypocritical, cynical, dirty and underhand players I have ever played against. I can’t stand anything about him. He is a bad loser and a bad winner, an all-round horrible person."

Dawson also added later on: "I have done things that really disappointed me and I’ve apologised personally to that player afterwards. But Venter seems to constantly go around the pitch high-tackling or running in from 10 or 15 yards with a swinging arm. It genuinely baffles me how the public could not see what he was doing.

"Even Corné Krige would get a Christmas card from me ahead of him."

Dawson and Venter had a fractious rugby relationship, which culminated in the 2002 Powergen Cup Final between the Saints and London Irish - when Dawson was felled by a vicious stiff-arm tackle from Venter, the Exiles’ player-coach at the time.

Venter, however, shrugged off Dawson’s comments when quizzed by the Daily Telegraph.

"If those words came from somebody in rugby that I respected I would lie awake in bed unable to sleep, but they don’t and I’m sleeping fine, thank you," he said.

"They are exactly what I would expect from Matt. I defend his right to say anything or write anything about me - life’s too short to worry about trivial things - but there’s always another view-point."

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