[ad_1]
ANALYSIS: While All Blacks coach Ian Foster believes there were “extenuating circumstances” that could help Ofa Tu’ungafasi into the judiciary following his red card against the Wallabies on Saturday, the way to escape a ban is narrow.
Tu’ungafasi is shaped in this area. In 2018, he was part of a double inning on Remy Grosso that left the French wing with a double fracture to his face, although the commissioner who cited the case found the incident to be “just before” justifying a red card.
Third Pickard / AP
Referee Nic Berry shows a red card to New Zealander Ofa Tuungafasi in Brisbane.
Can the great Blues mainstay be able to argue that this was also the case at their tackle in Brisbane?
First, it is important to note that World Rugby’s vision on head-high contact has been unequivocal for three to four years.
READ MORE:
* All Blacks v Australia: Lack of cool head fed the Australian ‘beast’ in Brisbane
* All Blacks vs Australia: Dave Rennie says it’s ‘hard to argue’ against red cards
* Sir John Kirwan calls for red cards to be removed after insane Bledisloe IV
* All Blacks vs Australia: a night to forget for the men in black in Brisbane
* Controversy when Ofa Tu’ungafasi sees red in the first quarter for high tackle
* All Blacks vs Australia: go red, go red, and it’s hard to argue those cards
Everyone knows that when you make head contact, a red card is an immediate possibility.
Commentators sometimes muddy the waters by arguing that “there was no malice” and so forth, but unequivocal interpretations of the law have repeatedly claimed in recent years that once head contact is made, the tackler is in trouble.
In fact, let’s take a quick look at the document “Decision-making framework for high tackles” published in May 2019 by World Rugby. It was published before the Rugby World Cup so that players, coaches and fans could understand what justifies a red card, what justifies a yellow card and what justifies a penalty.
The framework differentiates between a shoulder charge and a tackle attempt, with any contact to the head from a shoulder load resulting in an automatic red card (subject to mitigating factors).
Chris Hyde / Getty Images
Ofa Tu’ungafasi takes the walk of shame in Brisbane after his red card.
It was unclear on Saturday whether referee Nic Berry viewed the Tu’ungafasi incident as a shoulder charge or tackle, he just didn’t make that clear in his communication.
It certainly looked like Tu’ungafasi was trying to tackle Wallabies wing Tom Wright, so let’s classify it as a tackle attempt rather than a shoulder load.
But that does not mean that Tu’ungafasi is free of responsibilities. The framework still describes that if you make a high tackle with the shoulder or the head, you automatically get a yellow or red card, unless mitigating factors can be found.
Having established that Tu’ungafasi struck Wright on the chin, Berry had to see if the incident had a high or low degree of danger. Under the frame, if it is a high grade, then it is a red card.
Clearly, it is high. Tu’ungafasi is a large man and is leaning towards the tackle, turning his left shoulder towards Wright’s chin. In some ways, Wright is lucky that he wasn’t seriously injured, and it’s impossible to believe he wasn’t taken out for an EIS.
So Tu’ungafasi is now in red card territory and the only thing that could rescue him are “mitigating factors.”
David Rogers / Getty Images
Piers Francis of England was cited for this tackle last year, but escaped a penalty.
The argument here could be that Wright “fell” at the tackle. It is certainly true that his body height was lowered when he eluded Ardie Savea, but once he passes in front of All Blacks # 8, he actually seems to stabilize or even regain body height before Tu’unglasses Entrance. .
This is clearly how Berry saw it, and he said clearly, “I don’t see there is a significant drop in ball carrier height for there to be any mitigation,” as he explained the decision to All Blacks captain Sam Cane and Your ‘unglasses.
Perhaps the All Blacks can persuade the judiciary that the height of Wright’s body was a factor. Given that England’s Piers Francis escaped a penalty for a poor entry by American Will Hooley in the Rugby World Cup, anything is possible.
But ignore all the “game has smoothed out” noise. Under the World Rugby framework for high tackles, Tu’ungafasi’s path to escape a penalty is narrow.
