Yeah... Notable that Sean Fitzpatrick and his All Blacks side were considered to be the biggest sledgers in the history of rugby football. Just because you can say a scathing comment doesn't mean you're not an overall nice guy. And I stand by the fact that just because you tell someone they're an idiot doesn't mean you're not nice, it just means you're honest with your feelings and, given that he had no idea it was on live feed, there was in my opinion no reason for Fleming to not let him know how he felt if he did indeed feel that way - better to say it rather than to hold a grudge. If a close friend of mine was to basically accuse me of things and put me in a really bad light with the entire world during an interview, then yeah, once the cameras were off I'd be similar. Hell, in some friendships there would be a push'n'shove going on and the next hour they wouldn't think anything of it. That's friendships - you argue.
People are making a massive deal over something which really is a private issue between the two of them, and I personally hope the broadsheets and sports channels don't turn it into a public news event. Tabloids I couldn't care less about.
I've called my very close friends things a hell of a lot worse than what Fleming has said, I assure you. But hey, we're guys. It happens. As a member of the male gender, I'm pretty sure Fleming and Richardson can get over it within the next few hours. The media, if they turn it into a spectacle, though... they could go on for a week or so with that, I suppose.
I also doubt Fleming will even get close to being sacked as Richardson himself probably wouldn't want that, and would be happy to blow the whole thing off as media overblow before such a thing happens.