Tuilagi's ban was fine. He has a history of raising the knee.
This is all beat up to deflect our attention away from the fact that for the first time a Northern hemisphere hasn't made semis.
Indeed now we just need to cut it back down to Tasman Sea teams.
If it gets to that I wonder if the kiwi's will have the balls to put the Bledisloe on the line.
Picture proves my point. Very bad tackle on a great ball runner.
Jonah would have had multiple bans if this pic shows anything illegal.
Because it's very difficult, dare I say impossible, to run hard and fast without bending or lifting your knees.
Because it's very difficult, dare I say impossible, to run hard and fast without bending or lifting your knees.
Do you think it is reasonable for a ball carrier to lift their knee substantially higher than they do in their normal run on the step immediately before impact with the defender?
Do you think it is reasonable for a ball carrier to lift their knee substantially higher than they do in their normal run on the step immediately before impact with the defender?
2. There was no substantial lifting of the knee at all.
Phipps has admitted to having a go at the loose ball which is subsequently knocked forward by the scot, deflects off Phipps chest, and is then picked up by another scot who, as far as CJ is concerned, is about 10m offside.
If Phipps looks a bit sheepish it's probably because like everyone else he is unsure whether the fact that the ball has touched him has negated the offside. Rule 11.3c that is referred to appears to have been written to allow for players from one side being put back on side after a return kick is fumbled by the other side, not from a knock on infringement. So it's not surprising there was a bit confusion about its application in this instance.
In any case, whatever way you look at it it was advantage Australia. I also would have backed us to get the required 3 points minimum from the ensuing scrum and the at least 2 minutes of play that followed.
The records show that Australia won, and the team out of the two which had showed the greatest superiority throughout the entire tournament so far advances to the semis.
End of story.
And imo Genia was looking very sharp in this game. His service from the scrum and ruck was crisp, accurate and fast. Apart from a couple of ineffectual box kicks, his all round game was getting near to his best imo. Great read to put Mitchell in for his second try.
He was good at the end there and played with pace.
The benefit of bringing him on is having the fresh legs. If Genia can go at the same pace for the entire 80 he isn't going hard enough.