Waratahs 2019

[Braveheart81]

To put it in comparison, Tevita Nabura got 6 weeks for karate kicking Cam Clark in the face, Pierre Schoeman got 6 weeks for biting Richard Hardwick, Jonathan Faauli got 6 weeks for shoulder charging Wes Goosen in the face

 

[Adam84]

Am I missing something? Quirk has the ball. Latu dives in low, but nothing about it seems obviously illegal or cynical. It might be a shoulder charge, but it's hard to tell from that angle.
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Seriously?
Intentionally collapsing a maul is illegal, not binding before joining a maul is illegal as well.

To then do both those by diving at the knees of a player, and then lifting and twisting that leg as the maul collapses on the player is a bloody dangerous act, hence the serious knee injury.

 

[Adam84]

Perhaps in future he should step aside the maul bearing down on him and also avoid tackling players around the legs.

Or perhaps he just join the maul like tens of thousands of other rugby players manage to do and avoid unnecessary injuries.

Collapsing a maul has always been illegal, the way he did it directly caused injury hence his serious ban.

 

[Derpus]

To put it in comparison, Tevita Nabura got 6 weeks for karate kicking Cam Clark in the face, Pierre Schoeman got 6 weeks for biting Richard Hardwick, Jonathan Faauli got 6 weeks for shoulder charging Wes Goosen in the face

Fuck me is Goosen alive?

 

[Braveheart81]

Seriously?
Intentionally collapsing a maul is illegal, not binding before joining a maul is illegal as well.

Again though, the referee thought the maul had ended and presumably so did Latu.

It's the equal longest suspension SANZAAR has handed out since 2016 when Senatore got 10 weeks for biting.

I think that is the really surprising aspect.

Collapsing a maul when there is no prospect of a try is generally a penalty only offence.

 

[Derpus]

Or perhaps he just join the maul like tens of thousands of other rugby players manage to do and avoid unnecessary injuries.

Collapsing a maul has always been illegal, the way he did it directly caused injury hence his ban.

He enters from the front and gets the ball carrier. Maybe he's not allowed to tackle him? Seems 50/50 to me.

 

[Adam84]

He enters from the front and gets the ball carrier. Maybe he's not allowed to tackle him? Seems 50/50 to me.

He didn’t bind, and he dove at the legs intentionally collapsing a maul.. there’s nothing 50/50 about it

 

[Derpus]

He didn’t bind, and he dove at the legs intentionally collapsing a maul.. there’s nothing 50/50 about it

There is. There is a reasonable argument there is no maul and he just tackled some fluffybunny with the ball who happened to be running right at him.

But we are going nowhere. Looks like that'll be the end for Latu.

 

[Braveheart81]

He didn’t bind, and he dove at the legs intentionally collapsing a maul.. there’s nothing 50/50 about it

OK, but in just about every situation this would be a penalty at most.

If Quirk didn't get injured I can't see how we would have even been cited.

I'm not excusing what Latu did, but effectively the SANZAAR judiciary has found this to be one of the worst acts of foul/dangerous play in the last 3 seasons.

 

[RugbyReg]

Perhaps in future he should step aside the maul bearing down on him and also avoid tackling players around the legs.

you do know the laws right? It was a maul, so you can't tackle people to bring it down.

 

[Adam84]

I feel I’m arguing with parochial bias here... have a good day guys

 

[Derpus]

you do know the laws right? It was a maul, so you can't tackle people to bring it down.

Nope

Excuse my ignorance. Can tackling the player carrying the ball be considered collapsing a maul assuming you entered legally? Is that even possible or has the maul ended at that point?

 

[RugbyReg]

Nope

It looks to me the maul never finished. ball carrier and one of each side together, ball off the ground. It was a maul to me. Can't take it down.

He's clearly done that. It's a penalty for sure. Potentially a yellow card considering the location etc.

Taking it a step further, to me it looks like he dives in (head below hips for sure). I can't see a lot of arm action but can't really see his right arm.

I am pretty sure I see him go completely go to ground. After he dives in a Tah body ends up on the ground and I can't see who else it could be. So if he's on the ground, he's out of the game and needed to get out of the way.

He then appears on his feet again, clinging onto to Quirk's leg, below the knee. He's then gripping it (his head in between, behind the knee?) and then Quick has flipped the other way and Latu has driven him down.

Again, Latu has given done the following:

- has his head and shoulders lower than his hips = Free Kick
- dangerous charging (trying to knock down player without trying to grasp the player) = Penalty
- intentionally collapse a maul = Penalty
- in play while on the ground = Penalty.

So 4 breaches. 3 Penalty ones. Possibly, at a stretch, deserving of a Red Card but hard to justify 10 weeks unless there was even more.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Hollaway is a unit with the ability to get his team over the gain line, the challenge is that at 6 or 8 he ends up being a "David Lyons" type edge runner who drifts in and out of games.



When they stuck him at lock, he does more all round work, plays tighter and puts in a decent shift. So at lock he compliments Simmons who is a less effective ball runner but the lineout boss.



Now if Routs turns up we have three locks whose skills compliment eachother

Yep fatprop and other than game against Sunwolves Holloway looked good at lock - especially first game against Highlanders so no reason to shift him as he is generally consistent performer at lock versus 6 and 8 where not performed consistently.

 

[Lindommer]

Holloway is a better lock than he has ever been an 8, he is just a bit short for the role, I think he realised it himself last season

Holloway SHOULD be an outstanding, blockbuster player at number 8. Potentially as good as, or even better than, David Lyons and Totaui Kefu. A fan can only dream......

 

[Lindommer]

Like Latu, I really can't see Cheika taking George Pell to the World Cup after today's news.
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....or Philip Wilson.

 

[Dan54]

Im basically just saying its quite unreasonable to make assumptions that Latu is 'filthy' based on something no one has seen.

Fair enough too I suppose Derpus, and the joker that called him filthy at work , actually know Quirk, so may not be completely neutral.

 

[fatprop]

Im basically just saying its quite unreasonable to make assumptions that Latu is 'filthy' based on something no one has seen.

Filthy? Nah, but it was dumb and unnecessary, which to me is worse

But add
Penalty magnet, yep
Not effective at lineout, yep
Fitness issues, at times

Well, we may have more "rounded" options for the wobs

 

[wamberal]

He threw a lot better, from what I saw (not the whole game, admittedly). But yeah, I think the times have passed him by.

 

[Braveheart81]

He threw a lot better, from what I saw (not the whole game, admittedly). But yeah, I think the times have passed him by.

The Waratahs won all their own lineout ball against the Sunwolves, so yes, Latu's throwing was fine in that game.