Cooper rugby tackle not malicious: Barnes
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Berrick Barnes says there wasn’t anything malicious about Quade Cooper’s high tackle on him that resulted in his rival five-eighth being suspended, as the pair battle it out for the Wallabies No.10 spot next month.
Cooper missed the Queensland Reds’ semi-final loss to the Sharks last week after a one-week suspension for a tackle on NSW pivot Barnes in a final-round Super Rugby game.
Both men have been involved in this week’s national training camp in Sydney where Barnes confirmed Cooper had apologised for the tackle that briefly knocked him out.
“There was nothing malicious in it. It (the tackle) just crept up and I got knocked out as a result of it,” Barnes said.
Barnes is the incumbent Wallabies pivot after starring in the recent three-Test series against Wales.
Cooper is back in the mix for Australia’s first two Rugby Championship matches against New Zealand next month, after playing several games for Queensland following a lengthy layoff caused by a knee reconstruction.
Barnes said Cooper and himself had talked about on-field and off-field issues, though he stressed he also sometimes found himself in competition with other players for the inside centre spot, where he finished the season with NSW.
“I suppose there’s always a bit of competitiveness between me and anyone in those positions,” Barnes said.
“But I think you’ve got to try and put that aside sometimes and realise there’s a greater good here and that’s playing for your country.”
As someone who has a record of head knocks, Barnes is aware of the developing debate about concussion in the AFL, especially given Adelaide forward Kurt Tippett’s well-publicised problems in that area.
“Those (AFL) guys have got to be careful. The good thing about the timing of mine was the fact I don’t have to play footy again for potentially another couple of weeks,” Barnes said.
“I’ve got time to let my head rest and not have the anxiety also that goes along with having to play week in, week out and try and satisfy your ego and the ego of coaches and everyone is putting pressure on you.”
Formerly proficient in rugby league, where the shoulder charge is the topical issue, Barnes stressed that was pretty much illegal in union, where offenders could expect to pay a price.
“I heard a leaguey making some stupid comments in the press the other day about rugby being softer – the games are different,” Barnes said.
“In league, you’ve got to tie up (the ball carrier) because you’re trying to control the ball. You’ve got to control the ruck and (the) play the ball.
“We (in union) have got to chop guys, so our guys can get on the ball so there’s a lot more encouragement of the legs tackle.”
© AAP 2013
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The Crowd Says (20) | Page 1 of Comments
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- Berrick Barnes, Quade Cooper, Rugby Union, wallabies
July 26th 2012 @ 2:52am
DuffyV said | July 26th 2012 @ 2:52am | Report comment
So he smacks him with a marginal high tackle and then badly attempts to lift him for an attempted smack on the ground. In a court of law that’s called attempted assault and battery. Maybe Barnes is coming out and confirming he is not free range.
July 26th 2012 @ 8:44am
Justin2 said | July 26th 2012 @ 8:44am | Report comment
Try netball – assault and battery? Thanks for the laugh
July 26th 2012 @ 9:15am
Jutsie said | July 26th 2012 @ 9:15am | Report comment
Lol Roare’rs are getting more shrill by the day.
Sam T’s description of the roar board being like talkback radio is very accurate!
July 26th 2012 @ 3:55am
Damo said | July 26th 2012 @ 3:55am | Report comment
And in the real world with real names your comment may be libel.
Neither hypotheses will stick.
So let’s move on.
July 26th 2012 @ 7:00am
gormon Kinchely said | July 26th 2012 @ 7:00am | Report comment
I’ve seen it in slow-mo, and it seemed to me that he was trying to form a protective bridge over Berrick as he lay prone. I’d say that the tackle was clumsy and not malicious, and I’m not really a fan of Quade as a human being. I agree with Damo, it’s time to move on.
July 26th 2012 @ 7:18am
mania said | July 26th 2012 @ 7:18am | Report comment
agree gormon – no malice but it was reckless.
July 26th 2012 @ 8:48am
Jutsie said | July 26th 2012 @ 8:48am | Report comment
It was a tackle gone wrong thats where it starts and ends. In isolation it deserved a week due to the impact but considering no other high tackle was even sited all season it was a load of BS.
Anway after hearing this from barnes hopefully now the trolls will stop with the accusations that cooper stood over barnes taunting him …… but I doubt it.
July 26th 2012 @ 12:08pm
Sprigs said | July 26th 2012 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
I hope there will be no players banned from the final.
July 26th 2012 @ 3:47pm
sixo_clock said | July 26th 2012 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
If anyone believes that young men, and in particular athletic ones, don’t know precisely where the contact is going to be then they are dreaming. ‘The Burglar’ took a punt thinking he may get away with it however like most others on the wrong side of the legal fence cannot then understand how he got caught. Lottery, no, dumb callous risky tackle, absolutely. The guy is a valueless flake and despite his capacity to read a game and his extraordinary range of skills the sooner he is off to league the better. We will do just fine with Barnes, Lealifano and the up and coming 5/8ths.
July 26th 2012 @ 4:45pm
mikeylives said | July 26th 2012 @ 4:45pm | Report comment
“If anyone believes that young men, and in particular athletic ones, don’t know precisely whe
re the contact is going to be then they are dreaming.”
Of course. It’s so simple – Every high tackle is intentional. And every player knows precisely where contact will be, so all missed tackles are also intentional. Why wouldn’t every young athletic player just put their shoulder on the ball carrier’s solar plexus for the perfect hit and wrap their arms around for the ‘copybook’ tackle.
How dumb are those players that intentially knock themselves out by precisely hitting their head on an opponents hip?
You really are dreaming six. Before you wake up, grab a chainsaw and cut that Quade chip off your shoulder.
*Newsflash* he signed a 3 year deal with the Reds almost 2 months ago.
July 26th 2012 @ 4:48pm
post said | July 26th 2012 @ 4:48pm | Report comment
So when players line up a tackle wrong and get their heads slammed, they knew exactly where they were heading? Come on.
July 26th 2012 @ 4:58pm
Jutsie said | July 26th 2012 @ 4:58pm | Report comment
This kind of old school elitist attitude is why more and more punters turn to afl, league and soccer in this country.
July 26th 2012 @ 4:58pm
AndyS said | July 26th 2012 @ 4:58pm | Report comment
So the only reason TPN keeps getting his head the wrong side of the tackle because he wants a lie down and a couple of weeks off – YOU LAZY FAT B******!!!!
July 26th 2012 @ 5:34pm
Justin2 said | July 26th 2012 @ 5:34pm | Report comment
Another chuckle for the day, thanks 6 ’0
July 26th 2012 @ 7:16pm
Shungmao said | July 26th 2012 @ 7:16pm | Report comment
6-0 i will have double what you’re smoking brother!
July 27th 2012 @ 8:25am
sixo_clock said | July 27th 2012 @ 8:25am | Report comment
Oh dear.
Gentlemen, an orderly queue please. I said he took a risk and it didn’t pay off. Rugby recommends taking out the legs first, others can go higher. If QC is incapable of adopting that maxim then he will have more than his share of high tackles. These lead to getting sent off and suspensions. At higher levels this makes him a liability. Play the long game brothers, its a lot harder and some of you I notice refuse to try but don’t get stuck to my thongs if I wade in.
ps: non-smoker, comfortably trim for age, yes TPN is reckless, elitism is in the eyes of the beholder etc etc ad nauseum.
July 27th 2012 @ 12:06am
Gpc said | July 27th 2012 @ 12:06am | Report comment
I’m just glad qc is starting to use the shoulder and wants to make tackles.
July 28th 2012 @ 12:51am
Sircoolalot said | July 28th 2012 @ 12:51am | Report comment
He only tackles skinny blokes
July 28th 2012 @ 7:42am
Damo said | July 28th 2012 @ 7:42am | Report comment
Six o’clock, got it in for Quadey mate?
The reason players go high close to the line is often out of an attempt to go ball and all.
Quade obviously ought not have caught Berrick’s head as well.
But he did.
Some people don’t need much encouragement to write off someone’s character .
Hands off the axe sixa.
July 28th 2012 @ 10:28am
sixo_clock said | July 28th 2012 @ 10:28am | Report comment
WIsh I had be proven wrong Damo. But 3 seasons later the Rugby potential he offers has been proven shallow and flashy which is exposed at our elite level. The fact that he still retains a Wallaby contract means those at ARU level are imho not seeing what I do and I will write here on the Roar to try and influence others. There are options and we did ok with the much maligned Berrick steering the ship who has a lot more skills specific to the position and there are others coming up. The experiment with QC has failed, move on.