Australia coach Michael Cheika has accused Fiji management of breaching the spirit of rugby by referring winger Reece Hodge for a Rugby World Cup citing.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has ignored Pacific diplomacy and unloaded on Fiji for referring winger Reece Hodge for a Rugby World Cup citing, saying it tramples on the spirit of the sport.
Cheika hit out at his Fiji counterparts and claimed they were insincere in referring Hodge’s tackle after Saturday’s game in Sapporo which has resulted in a citing and a judicial hearing in Tokyo on a day still to be determined.
The first-half tackle prevented a possible try for Fiji and left flanker Peceli Yato concussed.
Fiji players immediately asked for the television match official to review the tackle. The TMO concurred with the referee and his assistant that the tackle did not even warrant a penalty.
Fiji management subsequently referred it to the match citing official, who deemed it a dangerous tackle.
Cheika couldn’t stomach the Fijian act because of its two-faced nature.
He had spoken in jovial fashion with Fiji coach John McKee after the game and there was no suggestion the Hodge incident would be taken further.
“I don’t find the way that they brought that (referral) in the spirit of the game at all, which is something you know from Fiji,” Cheika told journalists on Monday.
“I’d prefer that they come up to me and get upset with me if they’re really upset about it, not to just talk to me in that nice, friendly chitty-chat way and then go behind your back and put in a referral.
“I don’t think I’ve ever referred anyone over my time.”
Cheika was disappointed by a citing he said contrasted with what he was told at a high-powered World Cup meeting days out from the tournament.
He had appreciated assurances from Kiwi World Rugby citing commissioner Steve Hinds that there would be more empathy for the game when assessing incidents.
“It sounded really good to be honest,” Cheika said.
“Steve Hinds mentioned that if a team of four had dealt with it on the day, then it would have to be clear and obvious for it to get cited.
“So they’re working together as a team. Calibration was their buzzword.
“It was clear all the officials dealt with it on the day.
“I think you’ve seen from all the conjecture that’s around, the majority of rugby players from the past have said it’s not an illegal tackle.”
Cheika believed match day officials will feel undermined for the rest of the tournament.
He noted the proximity of Kiwi referee Ben O’Keefe and English assistant Luke Pearce to the incident and that TMO Rowan Kitt had access to numerous replay angles.
“What is unnerving for me is their lack of confidence in the referees,” Cheika said.
“That puts doubt in the referees for the next game – ‘oh what do I do?’
“And that’s not fair for the referees.”
TimO
Roar Rookie
Read the news today?
TragicallySupportive
Roar Rookie
I was always taught “the ref is always right” as a central tenant of the game but Cheika has typically ignored this in the past.
Kdog
Guest
I hope the wallabies and cheika, take bill, and stick it up all you keyboard warriors
Big Dave
Roar Rookie
I understand that. And much of the writing on the roar is good. But they still go for clickbait with the headings. I get that they need to get people to read to make money, but the readers need to be able to differentiate a sensationalist headline from the actual content and too many fail to do that imo.
Dontcallmeshirley
Guest
Dave The Roar is not a newspaper and we are not trying to be journalists. It's a chat site for fans to talk cr@p. And it is a Great one! I sometimes visit planetrugby and man you should read the spite and vitriol there.
Big Dave
Roar Rookie
Meh. The Roar is the Mamamia of sports reporting with sensationalist clickbait headlines. Cheika's comments were reasonable, especially his questioning of the disparity between what teams were told about the citing process and what happened with Hodge.
Isaac Buatava
Roar Pro
Or get top 14 wages and remain eligible for their actual country.
ethan
Guest
If I was the referees boss, I'd be more concerned about the referee high five-ing one of the Fijian players after scoring at try...
Richie
Roar Rookie
If you want to babble on Risquéfan at least get the name right. Fijians, not Fijans! :laughing: :laughing:
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Not even remotely comparable.
Purdo
Roar Rookie
Wigeye: I hope Hodge is not suspended. What Cheika said is not Hodge's fault
Purdo
Roar Rookie
Fionn, from looking as the slo mo replays I thought Hodge did try to use his arms but got smashed out of the way before he could complete his tackle. Yato was injured, but given his mass and velocity, he could have injured himself running into a stationary opponent. He contributed at lot of the force to the collision.
TimO
Roar Rookie
Same can be said for Barrett's one in Perth
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Ask Geoff Bucknell !
Tooly
Roar Rookie
It was an accident, he can’t tackle.
Ruggerphil
Roar Rookie
Cheika blaming the ref every time the Wallabies lose isn’t in the spirit of the game. Cheika ranting and raving in the coaches box like a petulant child isn’t in the spirit of the game.
ABasquefan
Roar Rookie
this guy is an utter disgraceful cl0wn,…. so after one of his players shoulder charged a Fijan player to the head (which goes not only against the spirit of the law but also against the same letter of the law, against the wellbeing of the players and everything that the law law tries to protect) and goes unpunished, this d0rk comes blaming the Fijans (!!!!!!) for doing what precisely it’s in the laws,…. this is really incredible :rugby: :rugby: :rugby: :rugby: Australia should have been playing with 14 players since that early moment and the outcome of the game could have perfectly been other than the final one,…. Cheika and the wallies are very very lucky,…. a ref mistake handled them the classification and still this guy is complaining,…. and blaming the Fijans!!!!!!! :rugby: :rugby: :rugby: each time his team loses this guy is a load of excuses,…. everybody is to blame except him and his boys,…. especially the refs,….. everytime the refs make a mistaken call against his team he’s the most vociferous bwin all the fans,…. he behaves like a baboon in a cage (and excuses to the baboons, very nice animals that don’t deserve the comparison) when he’s in the coaching boxes and everytime he takes a mic,….. he’s a disgrace for the sport,…. and now that he and his team have been so clearly benefited he comes with all that nonsense about Pocock, first, and now this? :rugby: :rugby: :rugby: the wallabies used to be my second team behind the AB,…. now I just want them out of the tournament as soon as possible for not seeing him again
Tycoch22
Roar Rookie
Official World Rugby Guidelines Summary of tackle circumstances warranting range of sanctions RED CARD • Shoulder charge (no arms tackle) to the head or neck of the ball carrier, and mitigation is not applied • High tackle with any contact between the tackler’s shoulder or head and the BC’s head or neck, with high degree of danger, and mitigation is not applied • High tackle with first contact from the tackler’s arm to the BC’s head or neck, with high degree of danger, and mitigation is not applied YELLOW CARD • Any red card offence where mitigation is applied (as per framework) • Shoulder charge to the body (no head or neck contact), with high degree of danger • High tackle with any contact between the tackler’s shoulder or head and the BC’s head or neck, with low degree of danger, and mitigation is not applied • High tackle with contact from the tackler’s arm to the BC’s head or neck with low degree of danger, and mitigation is not applied • High tackle with contact from the tackler’s arm, which starts elsewhere on the body and then slips or moves up resulting in minor contact to the BC’s head or neck, with high degree of danger, and mitigation is not applied PENALTY • Any yellow card offence where mitigation is applied (as per framework) • Shoulder charge to the body (no head or neck contact), with low degree of danger • High tackle with first contact from the tackler’s arm, which starts elsewhere on the body and then slips or moves up resulting in minor contact to the BC’s head or neck, with low degree of danger and no mitigating factors High tackle with first contact above or over the shoulder of the ball carrier, but without contact to the head or neck of the ball carrier during the execution of the tackle (seat belt tackle) Mitigating factors (must be clear and obvious and can only be applied to reduce a sanction by 1 level) • Tackler makes a definite attempt to change height in an effort to avoid ball carrier’s head • BC suddenly drops in height (e.g. From earlier tackle, trips/falls, dives to score) • Tackler is unsighted prior to contact • “Reactionary” tackle, immediate release • Head contact is indirect (starts elsewhere on the body and then slips or moves up resulting in minor contact to the BC’s head or neck)
Rohan
Guest
Maybe you’re joking. Just in case you’re not, I’d point out that hundreds and hundreds of players come from South Pacific nations, to play both Union and League. Some even do so as school boys. They can make a more well-rewarded living, and enjoy the higher standard of competition, than they would if they remain in their own country.
Isaac Buatava
Roar Pro
I would say continually taking players from fiji (koroibete born and raised fijian, naisarani only lived in oz for 4 years) is against the spirit of the game.