Mealamu’s suspension is halved on appeal
By Chris Barclay, 13 Nov 2010 Chris Barclay is a Roar Guru
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- All Blacks, International Rugby, Keven Mealamu, Lewis Moody, Rugby Union
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All Black hooker Keven Mealamu’s four-week suspension for head-butting England captain Lewis Moody at Twickenham has been halved. This will enable him to play the Grand Slam tour finale against Wales in Cardiff.
An International Rugby Board appeals committee on Friday reduced the punishment imposed by IRB judicial officer Professor Lorne Crerar on Tuesday night.
Mealamu misses Saturday’s Test against Scotland and next weekend’s clash with Ireland in Dublin.
Hika Elliot will start at hooker in his test debut at Murrayfield after spending four previous internationals on the bench as Mealamu’s understudy.
Andrew Hore, the 47-test veteran on the comeback trail from shoulder surgery, will play his first match since the Super 14 in May off the bench.
Mealamu will be available to play Wales on November 28 (NZT) and is now also able to make a lucrative guest appearance for the Barbarians against South Africa at Twickenham on December 4 – the day his original ban expired.
The New Zealand Rugby Union lodged an appeal against Mealamu’s sentence hours after he was found guilty of an intentional act of foul play when striking Moody in the 50th minute of the All Blacks 26-16 victory on Sunday (NZT).
Mealamu, assistant coach Steve Hansen and the NZRU’s UK-based legal representation Owen Eastwood again argued the 82-test contact was reckless rather than intentional.
After a three-hour hearing the IRB panel comprised of South African chairman Peter Ingwersen, Robert Williams (Wales) and Jean Noel Couraud of France agreed to reduce the suspension.
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
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- Explore:
- All Blacks, International Rugby, Keven Mealamu, Lewis Moody, Rugby Union
November 13th 2010 @ 6:21am
MattB said | November 13th 2010 @ 6:21am | Report comment
Unbelievable.
November 13th 2010 @ 6:35am
warrenexpatinnz said | November 13th 2010 @ 6:35am | Report comment
My random thought with this one is that how long will it take for a player, lets say from South Africa, takes a ‘unintentional’ head butt approach to the suspect noggin of McCaw during the shortened TN next year and then the case Moody v Mealamu is trotted out in the defence of Burger (example) that player then gets two weeks yet McCaw gets a couple months of lingering head aches?
I for one would like to have these hearings fully open, not live but open for public dissection. Would make for interesting opinions!
November 13th 2010 @ 7:45am
Jerry said | November 13th 2010 @ 7:45am | Report comment
The real question is how long will it take before an opposition player targets McCaw with a cheap shot and gets off scot free. I’m gonna guess it’s probably about -1 week.
Seriously, if that’s your concern I’d imagine the Hartley incident is a far more relevant precedent.
November 13th 2010 @ 6:49am
warrenexpatinnz said | November 13th 2010 @ 6:49am | Report comment
Forgot to post, has anyone got a link to view the alleged head butt Kevvy did against McCaw in a Canterbury v Auckland clash? I have read some coments and have heard some radio talk back callers refer to this?
As a seperate note to this style of ‘tackle’; when Barnes came on against the Welsh and was setting up to pass from the base of a ruck a Welsh forward came in, lead with his head and glanced off Barnes head/head gear. It was more by luck that his head did not collect Barnes flush and cause serious injury. No call, no penalty.
I suggest these ‘lead with the head’ tackles which strangely used to be called head butts, be penalised by yellow cards as I am sure a Richie Barnett style injury (accidental but result the point) suffered when a head at speed collects a blokes face breaks most of the facial bones and has not only a career ending ring about it but in Barnetts case it almost killed him. That was an accident, what we are now seeing though with these ‘lead with the head’ tackles are intentional, whether planned or a split second reaction, on what ever scale you wish to use.
November 13th 2010 @ 10:20am
RedsNut said | November 13th 2010 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Here y’are Warren
November 13th 2010 @ 10:28am
Jason said | November 13th 2010 @ 10:28am | Report comment
That doesn’t look like Canterbury vs Auckland RedsNut.
November 13th 2010 @ 1:59pm
warrenexpatinnz said | November 13th 2010 @ 1:59pm | Report comment
Thanks RedsNut for the effort but I was looking for either a NPC or Super 14 clash were Kevin possibly did a similar ‘tackle’ against Richie McCaw.
November 13th 2010 @ 7:35am
CraigB said | November 13th 2010 @ 7:35am | Report comment
Good to see the sacred cow that is AB rugby is still going strong. Maybe PdV was right???
November 13th 2010 @ 7:37am
dunc said | November 13th 2010 @ 7:37am | Report comment
You cannot compare the Bakkies hit on Cowan to the friendly hit in the maul from Kevvy. Surely not! signed, one-eyed AB fan.
November 13th 2010 @ 8:17am
Tom said | November 13th 2010 @ 8:17am | Report comment
Absolutely agree, it was nothing more than a love tap.
November 13th 2010 @ 5:33pm
MarkR said | November 13th 2010 @ 5:33pm | Report comment
Tom, you have an interesting way of showing your love.
November 13th 2010 @ 7:50am
allblackfan said | November 13th 2010 @ 7:50am | Report comment
The problem here is consistency from the officials.
I reckon this decision was aimed at the match officials; bit of an unspoken rebuke of their control of the game.
I just watched a full replay of the England-NZ game and was even further underwhelmed by the ref’s performance.
It’s said that players don’t mind a bad ref as long as he is consistent in his interpretations but we didn’t even get that.
Ben Franks concedes a penalty for tackling an English player around the chest yet on at least two occasions English players tackle the heads of ABs players and get away with it.
You guys can dismiss me as another whinging AB fans (go ahead; I have a thick hide) but wait until this guy controls one of your games. I have no doubt you will find the same faults with him.
We have found another (W) Barnes!!
November 13th 2010 @ 8:40am
Ben S said | November 13th 2010 @ 8:40am | Report comment
The two week suspension is a rebuke of Roman Poite?
November 13th 2010 @ 3:47pm
allblackfan said | November 13th 2010 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
It’s a message that the ref should have dealt with it on the field; that it may have warranted 10 minutes, not a citation, and that there were far worse incidents which he didn’t deal with.
November 13th 2010 @ 9:06pm
Ben S said | November 13th 2010 @ 9:06pm | Report comment
Interesting.
November 13th 2010 @ 8:46am
ohtani's jacket said | November 13th 2010 @ 8:46am | Report comment
The All Blacks were within their rights to appeal and had the suspension reduced from intent to injure to reckless behaviour. Management could’ve handled it a lot better, however.
November 13th 2010 @ 2:06pm
warrenexpatinnz said | November 13th 2010 @ 2:06pm | Report comment
OJ no problem with the legal process followed and to an extent the reeduction in the suspension but the All Blacks should have fallen on their sword for this one, yes I know that seems a bit pathetic not standing up for a team mate/player where he did not have the intent to try and injure Moody but the way Hansen has come across and this ground swell of opinion which has the All Blacks as being insular and removed from the rest and thus above reproach will only but cost them and it may occur at the worst possible time.
November 13th 2010 @ 2:45pm
Jason said | November 13th 2010 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
So on review the judiciary agreed that the foul play was reckless, not intentional, and taking into account his long standing record reduced the suspension to two weeks. And you think he should have not appealed?
The logic process really goes out the window for some of you when it involves the All Blacks.
November 13th 2010 @ 3:44pm
ohtani's jacket said | November 13th 2010 @ 3:44pm | Report comment
I think they should’ve said they were appealing on the basis that they didn’t believe it was intentional and left it at that. There was no need for Hansen to get a bee in his bonnet. I do think they had the right to appeal, though. It’s a bit of a con to say the All Blacks shouldn’t appeal when no other country would do the same and people are unlikely to change their opinion of the All Blacks anyway. This incident hasn’t helped their image but the ill will was pre-existing and the All Blacks are already held to enough double standards as it is.
November 13th 2010 @ 9:12am
SamSport said | November 13th 2010 @ 9:12am | Report comment
I think the reduced ban was warranted. This article omits some of the detail, but initially he was found guilty of “intention to injure” and on appeal it has been reduced to “recklessness”. The two things are completely different. He will have been helped by the fact he has never been suspended, or yellow or red carded in his professional career. Taking all this into account, I think 2 weeks is fair. Those of you that think its an injustice need to get over it.
November 13th 2010 @ 10:13am
Jason said | November 13th 2010 @ 10:13am | Report comment
It’s on that very point that the defence of Kevin’s character was raised. He has rightfully been suspended for a reckless act of foul play.
November 13th 2010 @ 10:35am
plugger said | November 13th 2010 @ 10:35am | Report comment
Weak, weak, weak IRB. Botha got 10 weeks for the same offence. Ultra weak decision and a double standard.
November 13th 2010 @ 11:34am
woodster said | November 13th 2010 @ 11:34am | Report comment
2 weeks thats good news for the Abs seeing his lineout throws have improved alot and his scrummaging is always good, theyll be looking forward to having him back against the strong welsh pack. Abs 1 IRB 0