The sun will still rise on Saturday morning. But the ARU is mistaken if it thinks that means the game will return to balmy summery climes.

Judging by the mood of chairman Michael Hawker and chief executive Bill Pulver on Friday, that is what they are expecting after inviting Fairfax Media – and later News Corp – for allotted times to answer questions relating to the imbroglio that has engulfed rugby since the Di Patston-Kurtley Beale inflight argument last month.

The ARU wants to move on, but  as much as Hawker, Pulver, et al might want to  bask in the good times again, they can't until they knuckle down, get all the answers to the remaining questions and provide total clarity on the state of affairs at the ARU.

Two obvious questions are: Who sent the second text to former Wallabies business manager Patston; and why did Ewen McKenzie really resign as Wallabies coach on October 18 on the morning of Australia's Test against the All Blacks in Brisbane?

Behind that is the still worrying question of how the ARU allowed the controversy to unfold into the mess it has become under the guise of following due process? Reputations have been harmed, careers ruined and friendships burned as the issue has been fuelled by the relative silence of the ARU to address all the key points. And all along the ARU has denied its worsening state and its accountability for the problems.

This story is so not just about Beale, who was fined $45,000 for sending a first offensive text message to Patston on June 9, but cleared of a second charge relating to another text the ARU admits it cannot source to any author. No one condoned Beale's breach, to which he admitted guilt, apologised for and was found guilty of. Sure, his teammates supported him, as friends do, but often unheard in the disapproval was their clarification that they did not condone the deed.

So why didn't the ARU, seeing the wider community polarised by the issues, step in earlier than Friday to try and outline the issues in greater detail?

To allow the focus to zero in for the most part on one player in Beale was unfair, if not irresponsible; no matter how one feels about his indefensible action. And this from me, who many in rugby will know is certainly not in the Beale camp.

Had the ARU recognised that and dealt with it, Australian rugby may not be in the state it is. Contrary to what Pulver says, that is a mess; despite the Wallabies showing they have promise and are no doubt keen to show so under new coach Michael Cheika when they play the Barbarians in London on Saturday. Had the ARU handled the crisis better, the rugby coverage would be all about the Wallabies, and maybe even the National Rugby Championship grand final.

It's time for the ARU to look at their own back garden and take some accountability. The chance for two Fairfax Media journalists to speak with Hawker and Pulver for 45 minutes on the issue on Friday was welcomed. But even then, it came with misgivings with the invitation only being made late on Thursday night, with detailed briefing notes on the chronology of events and issues only falling into our hands as we arrived. Whichever way you look at it, the past month especially has been an ugly, bitter and sad time for Australian rugby, and at a time when it should otherwise be riding high on hope.