World rugby has erupted with fury over Scott Barrett’s red card on Saturday in Bledisloe I.
Eddie Jones called the inconsistency “ridiculous”; Michael Cheika said he was “disappointed” by the card while Steve Hansen labelled his side’s discipline as “dumb”.
But were the All Blacks fortunate to escape with just the single red card handed out?
In the aftermath of the Wallabies’ record breaking 47-26 victory over the All Blacks, where the home side won the penalty count 8-4 too, New Zealand’s media have attempted to manipulate Bledisloe II.
They’ve attempted to paint a picture to South African referee Jaco Peyper that the Wallabies are getting away with murder, particularly at the ruck.
New Zealand’s Herald wrote an article on Monday highlighting the Wallabies’ “dangerous” tactic that they got away with, pointing to “14 neck rolls” that the home side got away with.
Sam Cane, himself no angel — as will be pointed out later — told New Zealand’s media that he had been surprised by the Wallabies’ ability to shift the All Blacks off the ball.
“To be honest, I wasn’t aware of it until I looked at my game yesterday but there were times when you’d get over the ball and you’d know you were in a good position and then for whatever reason you get taken off it,” Cane said on Monday.
“Sometimes it was because players were coming blatantly in from the side, sometimes it’s those neck rolls. I’m not sure there’s much you can do in the game.
“I remember at the 2015 World Cup there was a real clampdown on it. It was taken very seriously. It’s just one of those things; the laws of the game. They focus on one area and then another area seems to slip off. But I’d like to see it ruled.”
But in doing so, they also failed to address the All Blacks’ own acts of foul play and rubbed their own hands clean.
Fox Sports has discovered 17 different instances of foul play from the All Blacks.
Yet only three of those acts of foul play were penalised.
In particular, the All Blacks were lucky not to have Dane Coles, Owen Franks and Ardie Savea shown at least a yellow card in the eighth minute for a high, no arms tackle on Michael Hooper.
Although the shot on Hooper drew a penalty from French referee Jerome Garces, the trio could have been shown cards.
As can be seen in the gif above, hooker Dane Coles fails to use his arms and hits Hooper square in the right cheek with his right shoulder.
His front-row teammate Franks uses a swinging left-arm which hits Hooper flush in the middle of the face, as does Savea who hits him earlier.
At the time Hooper is not falling into contact.
The contact is dangerous and reckless.
Later, in the 35th minute, Cane, who previously complained of side entry and questioned how the All Blacks were being shifted off the ball flips hooker Tolu Latu on his head.
Following the Hooper tackle on Ngani Laumape, Latu gets first to the ball and Cane, rushing in from the side, drives the hooker onto his head and neck. The tackle is called a ‘tombstone’ for a reason.
Even before Barrett’s red card in the 40th minute, just a couple of phases later the lock forward failed to use arms in a clearance and led with his right shoulder.
One phase later, Franks, who came under scrutiny for a neck roll on David Pocock last year, once again tackles Izack Rodda around the neck.
Shortly after half time, Richie Mo’unga hit Lukhan Salakaia-Loto around the side of the head as the blindside flanker dived to the ground to score in the 46th minute.
Replacement prop Angus Ta’avao was seen twice tackling the Wallabies around the neck in the 57th and 69th minutes, while he also charged into a ruck and failed to use arms in the tackle in the 68th minute.
Ardie Savea earlier tackled Tolu Latu around the neck in the third minute.
There were multiple incidents of Wallabies being checked and tackled off the ball, too.
Kieran Read wrapped his arms around Hooper as the duo scrambled to get to the ball first in the lead up to Anton Lienert-Brown’s try, Kurtley Beale was checked off the ball in the 16th minute by Scott Barrett while his brother Beauden also wraps his arms around Samu Kerevi five metres off the ball in the 20th minute.
Another swinging arm from Scott Barrett in the 25th minute on Allan Alaalatoa was missed too.
The Wallabies weren’t saints in Bledisloe I either.
As has been highlighted, neck rolls were missed by officials from Wallabies.
So to a late shot from Beale on Jack Goodhue — albeit the All Blacks scored from the kick.
And what was Beale supposed to do?
Be flattened like Mufasa in the Lion King?
A tackle would have brought about a penalty, and by the time Goodhue had kicked Beale was in position to make the tackle and instead slightly turned his shoulder for self defence more than aggression.
It must be said, too, that Beale was at the time a standing target unlike Barrett who was a moving tackler when he forcefully hit Hooper in the head with his shoulder.
Two can play this game.
But the All Blacks — fresh from their worst ever Rugby Championship — are clutching at straws if they think they’re getting unfairly targeted.
FoxSport.com.au
