SANZAR Judicial Hearings will be held later today relating to two dangerous incidents in the weekend’s SupeRugby matches.
During the second half of the Highlanders–Lions match in Dunedin on Saturday evening, Lions openside flanker Michael Rhodes cleared Clan winger Siale Piutau out of a ruck with a move that looked like a combination of a cagefighting chokehold and a crocodile’s deathroll. Piutau, once he’d disengaged himself, gave Rhodes one good punch in the head and attempted a few follow-ups. That was enough to get him reported too.
Check out all the action in this clip:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLWiAc9vtmw[/youtube]
Rhodes has been cited under Foul Play Laws 10.4 (e) (dangerous tackling of a player without the ball) and 10.4(m) (an act contrary to good sportsmanship), and the hearing will start shortly in the NZRU offices in Wellington. Piutau has been hit with a hamburger with the lot: 10.4(a) (punching an opponent), 10.4 (l) (retaliation), and 10.4(m) as well. His hearing will follow Rhodes’s.
The other case involves Sharks flanker Jean Deysel, who caught Tom ‘Chariots’ Carter in a sleeper-hold alongside a ruck in the second half of the Sharks–Tahs match in Durban later than night. And he wouldn’t let go, long after the ball was gone. Did he think he could get Carter to tap out? See the incident from 4:30 in this clip:
Deysel has been cited under Laws 10.4(e) and (m). The hearing will be held in the offices of the Kwazulu-Natal RU in Durban at 8:00pm (AEST) this evening.
Update: SANZAR Release
The Judicial Officer’s findings are as follows:
1 Michael Rhodes
Rhodes was found guilty of contravening Law 10.4 (e) relating to the dangerous tackling of a player without the ball and was suspended for six weeks.
The SANZAR Judicial Officer ruled that Rhodes had flipped Piutau over in a dangerous manner “placing his head and neck at serious risk of injury”. Davidson added that video evidence showed Piutau in a highly compromised and dangerous position.
Davidson ruled that in order for Rhodes’ suspension to be effective it should encompass six matches and he is therefore ruled out of all rugby up to and including 31 July 2011.
Rhodes has the right to appeal the sanction.
2 Siale Piutau
Piutau was found guilty of breaching foul play Law 10.4 (a) relating to punching but has not been sanctioned due to the “exceptional circumstances” of the incident.
The SANZAR Judicial Officer ruled that whilst the player admitted to foul play he had been “seriously compromised” in the incident involving Rhodes.
The Judicial Officer concluded Piutau’s reaction was that of someone who had been “seriously endangered”. He added that to impose a sanction in these circumstances “would not reflect the effect on Piutau of the incident and a reaction that was the product of shock rather than retaliatory intent”.
