Test Match 2: All Blacks v British & Irish Lions (Wellington)

[General Melchett]

I'm still confused to why the authorities cited SOB and not Mako...

It's very strange. Perhaps the SOB incident got more coverage in the NZ media than we realise. I guess a ban for him would be far more costly than losing Mako who could be more easily replaced.

 

[ncurd]

It's very strange. Perhaps the SOB incident got more coverage in the NZ media than we realise. I guess a ban for him would be far more costly than losing Mako who could be more easily replaced.

The citing commissioner was an Australian and it happened pretty quickly after the game....

I know NZders lost their rag over SOB mainly because of the injury which is didn't happen nobody would of likely noted.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Thanks, I knew that its just that the post was from Nubiwan who is a Brit (I think)

Nubiwan is from Tattooine.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

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[UlsterRugby2012]

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[Larksea]

You're comparing what SBW did to SOB? What planet are you on mate?

of course I'm comparing them and I cant see any reason why not. If you do maybe you can explain rather than come up with some meaningless comment or personal attack like "What planet are you on"
are you saying SBW intended for his shoulder to make contact to the head? You think he meant to get the head and hoped he would get away with it?
Thats plain lunacy, of course he didn't.
He likely intended to get the ball and he did at least try and get his left arm involved to make it a tackle.

 

[Which Tyler]

@Larksea I think that that's exactly where a lot of people disagree with you.
That was a shoulder charge pure and simple, any mild involvement of the left arm was there for the red to find an out, not to be part of a legitimate tackle.
He was never going to dislodge the ball with that, Watson would need to have been a good foot taller and been completely upright to have had a hope in hell.
SBW was going for a shoulder charge with the intent to hurt his opponent, and I don't think his brain was engaged in the act beyond the most minimal of ways. Whether he was aiming for the head or not only he can know, but the thought is far from lunacy.

SOB was an attempt to help in a tackle, and the very act of wrapping his arm is what caused the head contact, and absolutely no intent to hurt anyone was ever part of it.

So one is an illegal act designed to hurt, and one is a legal act designed to not to hurt. Both ended up hurting.