waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
^^^^^^^^^^ Bond's effort looked no worse than what the Stormers' 16 did in the lead up to a SW try, but I s'pose when you've already been suspended this season you're gonna get some extra scrutiny upon your return.
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Sun wolves are competitive and that was biggest fear with them joining and given fairly disorganised prior to start to get team appointments etc.
Good base to work from and they should get their maiden win soon.
Bigger picture view is heading in right direction and Japan should be stronger test nation in years to come.
Good base to work from and they should get their maiden win soon.
Bigger picture view is heading in right direction and Japan should be stronger test nation in years to come.
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Mr Wobbly
Alan Cameron (40)
That is some serious bullshit, IMHO.
I saw at least two other shoulder charges on the weekend that looked as bad as Bond's. One was a penalty and the other was just a stern tongue lashing from Sir.
#justiceforbond
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
According to the official super rugby website, "SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Michael Heron QC (Quade Cooper) assessed the case. In his finding, Heron ruled the following:
"I conducted the DJO process with Tim Bond, Shogo Tanaka san, Mark Hammett (each of the Sunwolves) and Mr Bond's legal representative, Mary-Jane Crabtree of Allens in Melbourne.
"The player confirmed that he was trying to tackle the player in a "smother" tackle and tried to pull-out when he knew that the Stormers player had passed the ball. The player accepted the conduct was foul play.
"I indicated that in my view the tackle was high, late and with only one arm potentially engaged. The shoulder of Mr Bond connected with the Stormer's player (the head). I accepted that it was not an intentional or pre-meditated action, but in my view given the combination of features, I considered it was reckless. The player was in a vulnerable position and left the field as a result. I indicated that I saw this as mid-range, and warranting an entry point of 6 weeks under Appendix 1. I did not consider there were other aggravating features present.
"He checked on the Stormer's player and apologised to him. Mr Bond has a relatively good disciplinary record, although has a recent citing for which he received a one-week suspension. He is aware of the dangers of concussion and was clear as to his lack of intention to put a player in jeopardy of that. I did not see his record as an aggravating factor and his overall conduct and history was of some mitigation.
"In the circumstances, particularly in light of the early guilty plea, I was willing to discount the relevant sanction to a period of four weeks' suspension, through and including the playing weekend of 7-8 May. I was advised that one of those weeks was a bye week but that Mr Bond would have been available to play and could have been expected to play for the Japan XV against South Korea in Yokohama on that weekend. Other Sunwolves players will be playing. On that basis I accepted that week as a week which counted.
On that basis, Mr Bond is suspended from all forms of rugby through to and including 7 May 2016."
"I conducted the DJO process with Tim Bond, Shogo Tanaka san, Mark Hammett (each of the Sunwolves) and Mr Bond's legal representative, Mary-Jane Crabtree of Allens in Melbourne.
"The player confirmed that he was trying to tackle the player in a "smother" tackle and tried to pull-out when he knew that the Stormers player had passed the ball. The player accepted the conduct was foul play.
"I indicated that in my view the tackle was high, late and with only one arm potentially engaged. The shoulder of Mr Bond connected with the Stormer's player (the head). I accepted that it was not an intentional or pre-meditated action, but in my view given the combination of features, I considered it was reckless. The player was in a vulnerable position and left the field as a result. I indicated that I saw this as mid-range, and warranting an entry point of 6 weeks under Appendix 1. I did not consider there were other aggravating features present.
"He checked on the Stormer's player and apologised to him. Mr Bond has a relatively good disciplinary record, although has a recent citing for which he received a one-week suspension. He is aware of the dangers of concussion and was clear as to his lack of intention to put a player in jeopardy of that. I did not see his record as an aggravating factor and his overall conduct and history was of some mitigation.
"In the circumstances, particularly in light of the early guilty plea, I was willing to discount the relevant sanction to a period of four weeks' suspension, through and including the playing weekend of 7-8 May. I was advised that one of those weeks was a bye week but that Mr Bond would have been available to play and could have been expected to play for the Japan XV against South Korea in Yokohama on that weekend. Other Sunwolves players will be playing. On that basis I accepted that week as a week which counted.
On that basis, Mr Bond is suspended from all forms of rugby through to and including 7 May 2016."
The times they are a-changing.
World Rugby Pacific Challenge in Fiji over the last week had the following results:
Junior Japan 46:10 Tonga A
Junior Japan 76:3 Samoa A
Junior Japan 21:12 Fiji Warriors
That's a total 143:25 against traditional rugby nations.
Fiji Warriors had won this competition 4 years in a row.
Dismal Pillock
Michael Lynagh (62)
would be curious to see the make-up of these J-teams cos their academies have been poaching the islands like a Death Star on steroids stilts
WorkingClassRugger
Michael Lynagh (62)
Watched two of their games. Not a lot of imports involved actually. In fact, against Tonga A I could only really with confidence say that there was only 1 bloke who wasn't a native born Japanese citizen on the pitch. There may have been another but I really didn't get a good look at him to be able to make a distinction. Point is. This was a very 'Japanese' oriented team.
You mean like New Zealand and Australia and England and.......
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Aaah. I do enjoy being quoted, even if it is out of context. I was commenting at the time on the widespread euphoria about the popularity of rugby in the wake of the World Cup.
Maybe it depends on one's definition of the term "rugby nation". To me it would mean that rugby was up in the top three or four sports. Others might have a different definition.
According to Wikipedia, the most popular sports in Japan in 2017 were, in order:
1. Baseball
2. Sumo
3. Soccer
4. Tennis
5. Golf
6. Boxing
7. Basketball
8. Motor racing
9. Puroresu (sic)
10. Others (including rugby).
Maybe rugby has made a meteoric rise since then and is 10th in its own right.
Wilson
Phil Kearns (64)
By that measure we aren't either. And haven't been for a very long time, maybe ever - we weren't by participation or viewership when last we won a world cup.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
I don't think that comes as news to too many of us. Do you think we are a "rugby nation"? Of course we aren't and never have been; although, rather like the Japanese phenomenon, when we hosted the 2003 RWC we certainly looked like one. Every game was sold out.
Countries like New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Madagascar would fit the bill. England, Ireland, Scotland, and France would be pretty close in my opinion. Even Georgia.
There are probably others.
Mr Wobbly
Alan Cameron (40)
So what makes a rugby nation?
Rugby has been played in Japan since 1866 (longer than Fiji, Samoa, or Tonga)
They have the 4th highest number of rugby players (~125,000)
Record attendance for a university game 70,000 (in 1952)
The stadium is full for most Sunwolves home games (when they used to have home games)
Rugby has been played in Japan since 1866 (longer than Fiji, Samoa, or Tonga)
They have the 4th highest number of rugby players (~125,000)
Record attendance for a university game 70,000 (in 1952)
The stadium is full for most Sunwolves home games (when they used to have home games)
Dismal Pillock
Michael Lynagh (62)
Think they mightve recently topped this when they had a uni game at the brand spanking new Olympic stadium?