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Calls for the International Rugby Board to introduce competition-specific suspensions must be heeded after Australia were robbed of their best player for their two toughest Tests of the year.
Quade Cooper will sit on the sidelines and watch back-to-back Bledisloe Cup Tests against the team he grew up supporting – the All Blacks – after his appeal against a severe two-match ban failed on Wednesday.
Cooper knows he probably can’t kick up too much of a fuss after he was suspended for his intentional spearing tackle on Springbok Morne Steyn on the weekend, but he’s justified in feeling like the robber who’s copped a two-year jail term while his mate was let off with a caution.
He can also feel like the meat in the sandwich as the invariable politics involved in the often fractious SANZAR conspired against him.
With South Africa kicking up a stink for suspensions meted out against Bakkies Botha and Jean de Villiers this month, SANZAR judicial officials were under pressure to continue to take their perceived hard-line approach.
De Villiers copped a two-week ban for his more dangerous spearing tackle on All Black Rene Ranger while fellow Springbok back Jaque Fourie, who held a prior conviction for a similar offence, was given a three-match suspension.
But both de Villiers and Fourie only had to miss one Tri-Nations Test each due to the timing of upcoming Tri-Nations matches.
They will serve the rest of their time in the provincial Currie Cup comp which they may have been rested from anyway.
Cooper though misses Australia’s two most eagerly-anticipated clashes of 2010 through a lack of common sense.
The IRB or Tri-Nations chiefs can easily change the rules which would see bans for offences committed in one competition be served within the same competition.
He was also unlucky to be cited after being yellow carded during the 30-13 win at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
On four occasions in the Super 14 over the past two seasons players sin-binned for such a tackle haven’t been cited as punishment had already been served.
The only winner out of the Cooper citing and harsh suspension is the All Blacks who don’t need any help in beating Australia – they’ve done it the last seven times the teams have met, coming from behind in six!
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.