Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
Yeah though... all Irish players are in the URC so they wouldn't really have a team.
Wallabies 2024
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Sword of Justice
Arch Winning (36)
Forfeit? Mate this is sounding better and better to me.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Yeah because outcome determines the punishment. Has to, right? Attempting a tackle is not in itself foul play. If it turns out there was no significant head contact why should he be banned?
Strewthcobber
Simon Poidevin (60)
Have you watch the URC? The Irish test players about 70% of the games. They'd be happy to field second string teams in the URC and a proper test team. The beauty of Irish Rugby having control over all the players.
I have always thought that if a player gets a head knock of such severity that the tackler gets a red then the tackled should have to follow the head knock protocols be be checked out at the very least
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
But it was shoulder on shoulder, he just accidentally bonked his head when attempting the tackle. Last time I checked you don't attempt a tackle with your head? Is he supposed to detach his head prior to making the tackle attempt?
Strewthcobber
Simon Poidevin (60)
He's supposed to tackle his opponent legally and without a high degree of danger (note what's assessed there - the potential, not the outcome)
Tackle techniques that result in head-on-head contact are specifically called out in the Head Contact Process as being captured, probably because the stats show they are the most dangerous form of tackle.
Australia's argument that it shouldn't be a red card should surely boil down to it not being a high degree of danger because of the head contact not being direct and the force being low proven by the mouthguard not pinging.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I think it has to be 'extra' dippage. A little dip is to be expected. Can't just be the tip has to be the full shaft, so to speak.
Alex Sharpe
Ward Prentice (10)
I'm with you Derpus. This is beyond lame and actually pretty unfair to Samu. A three week suspension should be for deliberate, malicious play.
Technical Inaccuracy in a high speed collision with no I'll intent does not warrant that sort of punishment. What's worse, is that it could well spell the end of his test career. His chances to impress JS are pretty limited.
The lawmakers need to innovate to find a solution to what is a pretty complex problem because the current solution simply is not not fit for purpose.
It's unfortunate for Kerevi but we need to significantly reduce the number of head impacts in the game. We've got to this point because we spent years excusing these things as "football incidents" when the concussion impact doesn't care if it is intentional or accidental.
I don't see how else player behaviour changes unless you are harsh on these incidents. Kerevi needs to not be in that position when making a tackle in the first place.
Ignoto
Peter Sullivan (51)
Which is absolutely fine to strive for. But, incidents like the one we saw earlier in the match where Bobby V absolutely smacked the Welsh 6, who was penalised for not rolling away, only for Doleman to say he was knocked out but went back on this after the Welsh said the player was "stunned".
We also don't have the default of, if there's a high tackle and a player is penalised, that there is not automatically a HIA on that individual.
How many times have we seen those players being dragged off minutes later?
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
In a position to make a shoulder on shoulder tackle?
I get I am being a bit obtuse but yours is not a very nuanced position and it can be used to justify any change to the laws because concussive and sub-concussive impact is inherent in rugby and will always cause some degree of head trauma (based on my smooth-brained understanding of CTE).
Aren't most of the brain related injuries caused by repeated, smaller traumas? How do we deal with that? The current suite of high contact protocols do fuck all for player safety IMO and are generally more concerned with heading off litigation. Sitting a match out for a week after copping a shoulder to the head from a 110kg beast is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. You play professional rugby you are inherently putting your brain health in significant danger - just as you would be if you were boxing.
In fact, in the broad scheme, this implication that we are somehow making the game safer may do more harm than good. Because it seems to me a distinct possibility that we are not doing anything of the kind.
Alex Sharpe
Ward Prentice (10)
Brain trauma is no doubt the biggest issue facing not only rugby, but all contact sports. If we can't find a way to mitigate the risk, you could argue that there won't be any rugby, league, AFL, NFL in 50+ years from now.
The reason why I don't think saturating the game with red cards and suspensions will work is, if these incidents are in fact accidents, no punishment will prevent them.
It doesn't matter the the punishment for head contact is a yellow card or 12 weeks suspension, that incident with Kerevi is still going to happen.
Kerevi knows you cant make contact to the head. He isn't trying to make contact to the head. When sprinting out of a defensive line to make that tackle, he isn't thinking to himself 'gee the refs are pretty soft on head contact I might push the limits here'. He acted instinctively and a 'rugby accident' occurred.
No doubt it was an issue of poor technique. But with limits on contact minutes at training, its hard to retrain bad habits. maybe some innovation around training tackling technique could help.
I don't know what the solution is but It just looks like red cards and suspensions aren't it.
The reason why I don't think saturating the game with red cards and suspensions will work is, if these incidents are in fact accidents, no punishment will prevent them.
It doesn't matter the the punishment for head contact is a yellow card or 12 weeks suspension, that incident with Kerevi is still going to happen.
Kerevi knows you cant make contact to the head. He isn't trying to make contact to the head. When sprinting out of a defensive line to make that tackle, he isn't thinking to himself 'gee the refs are pretty soft on head contact I might push the limits here'. He acted instinctively and a 'rugby accident' occurred.
No doubt it was an issue of poor technique. But with limits on contact minutes at training, its hard to retrain bad habits. maybe some innovation around training tackling technique could help.
I don't know what the solution is but It just looks like red cards and suspensions aren't it.
John S
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Or where Nic White was totally hit in the head by Ellis Bevans (swinging?) arm? https://www.theroar.com.au/rugby-un...been-carded-for-taking-out-nic-white-1394161/