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Jean De Villiers suffered a horrific injury last weekend playing for South Africa against Wales, an injury that will presumably take him out of the game for quite some time.
This injury occurred at a ruck in the 57th minute of the game.
We hear much from the world of rugby about making the game enjoyable and safe to play across the board at all levels, and dangerous play more often than not is noticed by match adjudicators and dealt with accordingly.
However, one ugly aspect of rucks that has developed in recent years is that referees allow players to tackle other players in the rucks. This is what occurred in De Villiers’ case.
For those able to view it you will clearly see the Welsh No. 8, Taulupe Faletau, grab De Villiers and drag him to the ground in the ruck. This action was illegal and dangerous play.
The laws states that a player must not intentionally fall in a ruck or intentionally collapse a ruck, as it is dangerous play.
For those of you that think this is simply a dig against the Welsh, well it is not. This dangerous practice is used by all teams that play the game.
Why this is allowed when there is so much emphasis on dangerous play in other areas of the game is puzzling.
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.