Frans Steyn has been suspended for 5 weeks by the SANZAR Appeals Committee for his tip tackle on Aaron Cruden.
Personally I think it's a bit harsh considering the contributions made by Ryan Kankowski and Cobus Reinach but I'm not complaining too loudly . . . the Sharks 2015 S15 prospects have just improved as far as I'm concerned.
This had little to do with Steyn and lots to do with authority being challenged. It's a spiteful decision and real rugby men should deplore it. Reinach is probably exerting more force vertically . Steyn's upper body bent forward looks more like the action of a player driving forward than lifting up. And is Cruden lifted beyond the horizontal by Steyn. He looks dead flat to me.
Nobody is denying this was a bad fall, but was this Steyn carelessly executing a tip tackle? there has to be some real doubt.
-Triggs punches Vermeuelen in the face. Twice. clearly and off the ball. 1 week ban.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT74lWlyfkc)
-Hika Elliot shoulder charges Tendai in the throat. Off the ball. Chances of seriously injuring the player's throat and neck. No suspension. Not even a hearing.
-Liam Messam choke holds Ronaldo Bothma off the ball. A choke hold is a fighting technique developed to cut oxygen circulation to the brain off. If not stopped in time could lead to memory loss, or other much more serious injury).
Not even a hearing.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMYGu6s0QA4 - you can also see the Bismarck kick to the face, which is inexcusable as well)
- Josh Bekhuis receives a 'warning' from the citing commissioner for punching or striking against the cheetahs.
No further citing or suspension.
- Chris Kurindrani found guilty of dangerous charging after being cited for his actions in game vs. Waratahs.
No suspension.
-James Broadhurst knees Luke Braid to the head. A proper knee kick can pack the same impact force as an accident with a small vehicle (think Mini). Even an improper knee is seriously dangerous. This is a knee to the head. One week ban.
- Highlanders vs. Crusaders, round 2. Both Kane Hames and Owen Franks, props from the respective teams, get's red carded for punching and striking. Franks receive a two week ban. Hames none.
(This is the same Kane Hames who in 2014 was red carded at least once last year, cited twice, and received a one week ban).
- Liam Gill performs a wrestling move known as a 'suplex' on a Brumbies playe r. This happens off the ball, after pay has stopped.
Gill gets yellow carded. Later changed into a red card. No further suspension.
(for more on the suplex and how dangerous it can be, watch this vid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MS1EL6as8k)"
So basically in 7 weeks of Super Rugby so far we have had 7 Kiwi players and 4 Aussie players involved in dangerous, off the ball acts, all of which involved actions that can be found in bar brawls, with a collective 4 week ban. We have two SA players who each effectively got four weeks. Eight weeks between the two of them.
Asked by supersport.com for clarification on why they felt it necessary, SANZAR replied with a statement setting out their reasoning on why the appeal was necessary, according to the supersport.com website.
The appeal – chaired by a panel from all three countries – found the original finding of not guilty invalid, and sentenced Steyn to five weeks off the game (which because of the bye in round 11 means a four match ban).
The result has infuriated Sharks supporters and drawn into question the consistency of the judicial findings in Super Rugby with the judicial process widely being considered a lottery by teams involved in the competition.
SANZAR says what differentiated this case from all others is the fact that the original ruling said there was no foul play – primarily because the original finding accepted that with Cobus Reinach part of the tip tackle, it wasn’t all Francois Steyn’s fault. The original hearing expunged the red card from Steyn’s record.
“Under World Rugby Regulation 17 (which SANZAR is bound by) the tournament organiser has a right of appeal. As a result, SANZAR has this right in its own rules. The right of appeal will only rarely be exercised as there is a threshold that must be met,” the statement read.
“SANZAR cannot appeal simply because it doesn’t like a particular decision or because SANZAR would have imposed a different sanction than the Judicial Officer had SANZAR been the decision maker hearing the case. The onus is on SANZAR to prove that the Judicial Officer made a clear error of fact or law in reaching his decision and therefore the decision was wrong.
“What differentiated this case from others is that the Judicial Officer ruled that there was no foul play, that the referee had made an incorrect decision in issuing a red card and that the red card should be expunged from the player's record.”
SANZAR goes on to say this could have grave implications on how tip tackles are refereed in the game going forward.
“In SANZAR's view, he made clear errors both of fact and law in making the findings he did and the Judicial Officer's decision would cause real doubt as to how these type of tackles should be treated by referees, Citing Commissioners, Judicial Officers and ultimately those playing and coaching the game.
“Player safety is paramount. Tip tackles in breach of Law 10.4(j) have a high risk of serious - or even catastrophic - injury and need to be eradicated from the game. For this reason, having considered all the evidence, SANZAR reached a view that the original decision by the Judicial Officer was wrong and SANZAR exercised its right of appeal.
“The Appeal Committee consisted of three highly qualified and very experienced Judicial Personnel (one from each SANZAR country). The Appeal Committee's full written decision will be available in the coming days and this will provide the full rationale for the decision it has reached.”
What is interesting though, is the implications this now holds for judiciaries in the future of the competition, as a clear message that tip tackles need to be severely punished has been sent out, no matter what the circumstances."Senatore got a yellow for this tackle on JJ Engelbrecht in the Rugby Cup. He was banned for nine weeks though....nope not for this incident. He played the next week and thought Etzebeth was the closest thing to an Argentinian steak. Biting was the problem....not this tackle which was way more dangerous than Frans' assisted tackle.
Where is the consistency......rugby officiating is a self serving joke.
All these tackles....tip tackles, shoulder charges, taking the man in the air....are allowed in the NFL. I know of no major injuries that have resulted at the professional level.
But if we want to pretend that these events are more dangerous than legal head butt tackles and pounding into the man when his neck is bent over the ball on the ground like Francois Louw.....the least we could do is be consistent.
Warburton received a 3 week ban for his WC tip tackle, which was very clear. Why did Frans get a 5 and Senatore get a yellow .....what is the logic?
