An independent judiciary said it was startled that banned Wallabies winger Reece Hodge lacked knowledge of the new high tackle decision-making framework – a set of regulations that are threatening to dominate the Rugby World Cup.
On Thursday night Samoan midfielder Rey Lee-Lo became the second player to cop a three-week suspension for a high tackle, a day after Hodge failed to defend his charge and was scrubbed out of the remaining pool games.
More such sanctions seem likely over coming days as officials adhere to the strict framework guidelines introduced in May.
World Rugby wanted all coaches and players up to speed before the global tournament in Japan but it seems the message may not have reached Hodge, who was found guilty of a dangerous tackle on Fiji’s Peceli Yato.
In an 11-page report of Wednesday’s judiciary hearing. Hodge admitted to not being completely across the new sanction structure.
“The Player conceded that he had no effective knowledge of WR’s “Decision making framework for high tackles”; had not been trained on it; was not across it because the tackles he makes are predominantly in the waist to knees area,” the committee’s statement said.
“(To the Panel, this was of some general concern; and will be commented on later).”
Hodge was asked why he hadn’t apologised to Yato after the game. He replied he wasn’t aware he’d done anything that might put him under scrutiny.
The disciplinary report also outlined the injury suffered by Yato, who said he was knocked unconscious.
“I did not expect (Hodge’s) contact to be so high. From the moment he hit my face I blacked out and woke up when I was on my back,” the Fijian flanker testified.
The Wallabies are still to decide whether to appeal the ruling ahead of Sunday’s second pool match against Wales.
It was a different committee but an identical outcome for Lee-Lo, who was deemed guilty of a high tackle on Russia’s Vasily Artemyev in their pool match on Tuesday.
Under the framework, both players were deemed to have: committed an act of reckless foul play; made a high tackle, made contact with the head; invoked a high degree of danger.
World Rugby’s mandatory mid-range entry point of a six-week suspension was applied to Hodge and Lee-Lo. Both had it halved because of clean disciplinary records.
While Hodge’s ban divided commentators, there was a widespread expectation that Lee-Lo would cop a heavier ban than the Australian.
Another cited Samoan player, Motu Matu’u, was still to face the judiciary for a suspected high tackle while United States forward John Quill will automatically go through the process after being sent off for a high shot during their loss to England on Thursday.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Well yes, you asked me if I intended to name them but I haven't seen all the games so am not in a position to do so. The standards of officiating in the games I have seen make me absolutely dead certain there will have been other incidents missed.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
"sure there are plenty of others as well" ...that's what the other guys said.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Read applied the coat hangar to a defender. If PSDT had been the ball carrier then I'd say yellow but that wasn't a tackle gone wrong, that was a mugging. Sorry, was just offering the three asked for am sure there are plenty of others as well.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
Are you asking me or telling me Jez? It's nice though when other people answer questions put to other people. :silly: But seriously, as I have said elsewhere, if Read's grab on du Toit is the standard that meets the red card threshold for citing purposes then we will need a lot more citing officers and judicial panels. If du Toit hadn't fallen to the ground in star fish pose as if he was shot you would not have even noticed the infringement and nor would the South African journalist looking to make a name for himself on twitter. But if you think the Read incident is citable then so is du Toit's and Etzebeth's tackles on Savea. The judicial people will be needing stress leave from work overload. Now ...“there were multiple candidates for citing in most games so far”....do you intend naming all the others from all the other games?
aussikiwi
Guest
I sort of agree with you and Cheika on this. More strongly, I don't think the Tribunal should have publicly commented on Hodge's knowledge or otherwise of the protocols. The guy is under cross examination with his immediate future on the line, and understandably highly stressed. He is being assessed for his tackle, not his answers under cross examination. Now as well as the suspension, he has to face unfair media criticism for what on any view is not his fault. Not cool.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Kieran’s high shot on a defender looked ok to you? Brilliant!
jeznez
Roar Guru
Kieran, Moody and Moody?
jeznez
Roar Guru
It almost never happens but I’m actually with Cheika on this. The guys know they can’t tackle high. Not knowing the decision framework the referee and judiciary will use isn’t something players really need to know. Should a player be thinking awesome, he’s ducking so I can hit him high and have the penalty downgraded?
Gonzo99
Roar Rookie
Cheika press conference today – “There has been some chat about the players not being told about the framework: the judge put it in there. I want to make a couple of points. The framework is for referees, not the players, and used to decide whether there are red or yellow cards in a game. In my view, the officials in this tournament are using that framework very well.” “Second, our players are coached to tackle around the middle where they can dislodge the ball. We do not need the framework to tell them how to tackle. I am not sure where that is coming from and I do not know why it was put in the judgement.” “Reece was nervous while giving his evidence. There are people starving out there but they flew a QC over. When people are asking you questions and you have done nothing wrong you are nervous and may not have answers to all the questions on the top of your tongue. We thought we would just mention it. People are making a point about us so we thought we would make one back – a bit of tennis.” So yeah, your summary was pretty accurate – we tackle correctly so the lads don’t need to know what a high tackle is.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
He hasn’t nominated any and neither have you.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
As I was saying....
Will Lawton
Guest
If one believes that he was unaware of the war on head knocks then clearly one must believe in Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny and Folau is going to Hell because of his tattoos.
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
Cheers Kdog. You're being kind by nominating 3. View any game/ruck and match review officials would be kept busy 24/7.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
If Hodge did then so did the match officials and the ones from the England game yesterday.
Kdog
Guest
You name the game I'll give you 3
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Puff your reference to the tackles ‘looking okay’ to you made me smile.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
Well to be fair Read's incident was not ok - certainly penalisable - however if players are to be put on notice, as Ken suggests, for the likes of this - they will run out of paper.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
"there were multiple candidates for citing in most games so far" Very easy to say this Fred but of those multiple candidates, you don't even provide one example?
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
He has had 3 games shaved. That is the maximum allowable. But an apology is taken into account under mitigating factors.
Puff
Guest
Ken, your reference related to Read and Moody made me smile. Their tackles looked ok to me and past the scrutiny of authorities. In a match that was very physical by both teams. Regardless of my personal thoughts regarding the Hodge sighting, the Wallabies also have their share of issues. Hence after the Hodge incident we will be under the microscope this Sunday.