All Blacks manager 'stared at bugging device in disbelief'

The New Zealand All Blacks' manager has told a Sydney court he was shocked to discover a bugging device had been planted at the team hotel last year.

Darren Shand said he noticed what look like a battery and wires protruding from the foam of a chair in a room at Double Bay's Intercontinental Hotel on August 15.

The court heard the device was discovered when management decided to do a security sweep of the hotel and the team's training ground at North Sydney, because it was the first time they had used both venues.

Adrian Gard, who had worked as security consultant for the All Blacks since 2005, allegedly arranged for a bugging company to carry out the work.

Gard has pleaded not guilty to making up claims about finding the bug secreted in a chair in one of the team's meeting rooms.

Mr Shand told the court that on August 20, it was decided the police should be called in after it was discovered planting a listening device was a criminal offence.

It was the morning of a test match against the Wallabies.

Within hours, news of the investigation broke and immediately an inference was drawn – the Wallabies may have been behind the sinister plot.

They weren't and they lost the test match 42-8.