mark_s that only holds true if the intended target was the head. Where he said he was aiming (shoulders) was actually a lot closer than Davies head so if he were aiming there, the probability of missing (error) is less.
But back to the main issue. Both players were moving in the same direction, so a push in the back is always going to be the most effective way of getting Davies out of the way. Hooking him out of the way, is only going to require Hore to stop his own forward momentum and use considerable force to change the direction of Davies momentum also.
Let's not fuck about here. Hore was frustrated because Davies was deliberately getting in his road, his brain exploded (we've all been there) and he belted Davies. I don't agree that he intended to injure, maim or whatever. I doubt his thought process got that far. He did intend to swing his arm at Davies head and probably got him as clean as possible (unlucky for Hore - more unlucky for Davies) and flattened him like a battery. You can't defend or explain his actions by saying he was cleaning out, because Davies wasn't in the ruck, he wasn't even heading for the ruck at that point. If Hore's priority was to clean out the ruck he wasn't even effective because of his strike on Davies. Further, had he simply hit Davies shoulders and hooked him, Davies would've ended up on top of the ruck on the NZ side. That's the opposite of cleaning out - that's putting oppo players in the road, not out of the road. Had he just given Davies a shove he would've still been on his feet and moving at speed when he hit the ruck.
It doesn't make him a dirty player but that act was a dirty and dangerous act that deserved a far greater penalty than what it received. This whole argument to the contrary is a joke.