Tonga

3 Tongans have now been suspended by the IRB after the game against Canada. A 6 week suspension for one Tongan who felt like they needed to take someones head off, and two 3 week suspension to two others for throwing punches.

The Tongan coach has come out and implied that the ref, and the IRB are racist. Yes, that's his wonderful excuse. Here's what he said; “I had a look at both (yellow cards). I couldn’t really see why (they were issued),” Otai said after reviewing tape of the incidents. “It’s almost like, these days you know, when a black man is tackling harder than the other, it seems to be the way.”

Canadian Coach Kieran Crowley had this to say; "I don’t know how you could say they were legal tackles,” said Crowley. “I thought the definition of a tackle was you had to use your arms for a start. It’s pretty clear when you have a look at those incidents that they deserved what they got.”

“You hear this story all the time,” added the former All Black. “This is about the third or fourth time I’ve heard it, the racist sort of things. You’ve got to play within the laws of the game. And if you don’t play within the laws of the game, you get dealt with.”

Here is the full game. If you go to 1:17:25 of the video you will see the hit that got yellow carded that is supposedly "racist" of the ref to give out, and racist of the IRB to hand out a suspension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDN-CWq7or8

If you go to the point on the video I gave you can clearly see that the Tongan coach has no idea what he's talking about, and must be high or something.

The other tackle, which is at 1:09:25, was a border line yellow card, but again, it was clearly a tackle(High) with no arms. That one didn't get a suspension though.

Get with it guys.

Everytime a player of colour gets carded or suspended it is called a racist act.

Can't understand why they have such a complex....do you guys?

 Oh dear. My Tongan brothers are dicking out I see. What a shame. I wish folks would leave race out of their complaints against authorative organisations/figures. It  makes them look silly and delegitimises what may or may not have been a valid complaint. Anyhow, I didnt see the game but if 3 Tongan players have been suspended I can easily imagine how the match might have panned out. Ill check out the link and see if there is any merit to the coaches allegations (and my assumptions about Tongan foul play/over exuberance). 

It seems they pride themselves in hurting the opposition.

Probably go back to a heroes welcome.

When all fails ... play the race card.

Tiresome!!!

Yup, I just saw the clip and the Tongan players tackle on the Canadian bloke was sickening to watch. He didnt even bother to try and disguise his mischievious intent. It was all shoulder. The Canadian chap is lucky he wasnt seriously injured. Ive seen plenty of legitimately punishing tackles but this wasnt one of them. If the Tongan coach is really trying to claim that the suspension was racially motivated Im afraid he is an utter prat. 

Nuke.

It was a bad one. IRB could have suspended him for 10 weeks but they took into consideration the players history, which was a good one. It was cheap, dirty, and blantanly targetting the head. How anyone watching that can't see how that's a suspendable offence is beyond me. The Tongan coach needs to give his head a shake. Maybe he's been hit so many times like that he just thinks it's acceptable now.

Crowley just released his lineup for Saturdays game against Ireland, and Matt Evans isn't in it. On Evans' twitter feed he says he's fine though.

My question is how do people who think like that get put in charge? If he isn't fired or disciplined it is a damaging reflection on the whole Tongan rugby structure and culture.

Ya, Oimatey. It's a weird, or dangerous, way of thinking.

The thing that bugs me is that as a Canadian Rugby fan, I want to play teams like Tonga as much as possible to improve our rugby, but if this is the way it's going to be when we play them then I don't really want to play them.

 Big game Saturday for you guys against Ireland. US ran them close last week and they lost Zebo to the Lions tour - on current form Canada has a legitimate shot at taking down a Tier 1 if there isn't too much fatigue from a gruelling Cup.

Btw - I will probably try and go to the US / Canada match in August in Charleston.

It is a big game for us. We do have a chance for an upset, but not that great of a lineup. We've had a week off so it will be interesting to see how good of a go they can give them.

We have to play Japan IN Japan 4 days after this game as well to finish of the PNC. That's a long flight from Toronto. When Rugby Canada scheduled this game it was a head scratcher...But they've clearly stated that the Qualifying games are the goal this year so it's good exposure for the game.

That game should be really good. Canada should have an "A" team on the field. We should demolish the Americans with all our best players on the field. :)

I'm guessing you live in South Carolina??

 North Carolina actually - just outside Charlotte, so Charleston is only about 3.5 hours away.

You think it would be rude to wear SA colours to the match? hehe. No, probably won't do that - I respect the hard work USA rugby is doing trying to promote the game and my 13 year old son is a half Bok / half Eagle fan but assures me if the two ever played he would pull for the Boks. Was frankly surprised at the dismal showing of the US U20's - embarrasingly poor - as its not a reflection of what I have observed locally. I think there were selection issues as the players didn't even look athletic. Game is really growing amongst the youth here - probably close to 20 high school teams in Charlotte area now, mostly in schools - and I think thats the key as it has always been a fraternity college game mostly which is too late in life for players to develop. The gridiron / football players I coach love the game because they get to run, tackle, score etc. Definitely has potential to take off but we've been hearing that for years and look what turned up at the JWRC.

I've always had the greatest respect for Tonga...afterall did not Johah Lomu come from Tonga and did not Tonga come close with the 2007 WC winners and beat the 2011 WC runner up finalists, France.

Such a small island with a total population less than Upington in the Northern Cape in SA...what magnificent rugby players...just as well they are a small nation...nobody would beat them if they were bigger population and the same goes for Samoa and Fiji ( who concentrate of 7's successes).

Just a realisation. Tonga, Samoa and Fiji I salute you. Unfortunately for you, your talent has to go the next big country near you...the land of the long white cloud...really not that big but big enough to make them the best in the world with rugby union. On top of that you still spare exception players all over the world in including Wales and the British and Irish Lions....the no 8...Toby Faletau.

Tonga is known as the Friendly Islands...many years ago it was ruled by a queen but under the umbrella of England. A very interesting country. Before I croak I want to visit this island.

Sorry I made a mistake...Upington's is 47000...Tonga is a 104000 but Upington is a ghost town...Durban's is 536,644 just one town....one insignificant town in Gauteng, Boksburg is 159000. Worcester in the WC and Upington would make the total population of Tonga but these are such small towns that you can drive through them in 5 minutes....the point I'm trying to make is could SA select a world class 15 in just Upington and Worcester ???

Another point Moscow is 11.6 million...ok rugby is virtually unknown there...but the real point I want to emphasise is just just how phenominal these guys are...born rugby players.

 The tongans, samoans and fijians have rugby talent but are without doubt the dirtiest players in world rugby.

Their main aim when playing the Boks in WC matches has always been to injure our players via cheap shots.

Its time the IRB had a word with these twits and warned them that failing a clean up of their act they will get the boot.

This and bent nz refs are the blights on world rugby.

That said I do think they are cleaner these days. Tongans were probably just reverting to type. The racist bit is pathetic.

Seb numbers mean something but not everything. You could have a  million pigmies but how good would their team be. The Afrikaners basically ruled world rugby before isolation with comparatively small numbers.

 Poly their dirty play has not been limited to the Boks although I reckon they reserve some of their worst for us.

However they are cleaner than they once were so hopefully they will cut it out as Samoa did against Italy and just play the game in a reason able way