All Blacks star Ardie Savea says he fully expects to be sledged by the Waratahs and would have no hesitation in doing just that if the roles were reversed.
Savea, was banned for one week for his throat-slitting gesture in an explosive moment after being yellow carded against Melbourne Rebels.
While he apologised for his actions in the immediate aftermath, he seemed much less remorseful about his transgression when speaking to New Zealand reporters on Thursday.
“Let me say this. If I was in the opposition and I knew that’s how you get under someone’s skin, I’d definitely do it,” Savea said.
“But that’s how the game goes. Rugby is a fiery sport, there are a lot of emotions, and that’s just what I’ve got to prepare for now.”
Savea then wondered out loud about the nature of the unsportsmanlike conduct law he broke.
“Obviously I broke the law of unsportsmanlike conduct, whatever that is. But what is unsportsmanlike? How do you define that in rugby?
“Is it talking trash? Is it degrading players? I find that fine, because that’s the sport. But I find I’ve opened up a can of worms by breaking that law. What does unsportsmanlike [conduct] look like?”
The Waratahs’ Ned Hanigan said the team didn’t want to give an already excellent opponent any more motivation to perform on Friday.
“Don’t poke the bear I reckon,” Hanigan said.
Rebels and Hurricanes clash during the round two Super Rugby Pacific match. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
“An unreal player. His ball carrying abilities and skills in disrupting what you want to do with the ball, he’s a back-rower that’s considered world class for a reason.”
The NSW Waratahs Women take on Force and the Tahs men battle the Chiefs in an enthralling double-header on Friday, 24 March at Allianz Stadium.
Tahs teammate Charlie Gamble added: “Ardie’s Ardie. It’s all about bringing that energy and that work rate around the field.
“If you feel like you’re competing for absolutely everything then … if he’s a better player, if he’s carrying a lot stronger than you, if he’s making line breaks, it is what it is.
“That’s Ardie Savea. There’s going to be parts of the game where he’s going to do some outstanding stuff on the field. It’s just about limiting that.
“We’ll be doing as much as we can to reply to that. It’s an exciting challenge.”
Savea’s absence was felt against the Blues as the Hurricanes lost 25-19.
“I have some close boys in the Blues team so it would’ve been awesome to smash each other but the great thing about the Canes at the moment is that we have some quality players across the park, especially in the loose forwards,” Savea said.
“It doesn’t matter who is playing, guys are stepping up and doing a good job and that keeps me on my feet. But watching the game was hard, man. I got itchy feet and because it was close, it was awesome to watch as a fan but I wished I was on the field.”
Saea said both sides would be depsrate to bounce back after defeats last week.
“We want to be consistent around the games we play, and that’s about playing the full 80 and starting well instead of giving teams a head start because it’s really hard to come back.
“We know the Waratahs are hurting, but we’re hurting too and they’ve got some quality players across the park so we have to be on our A-game.”
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Ffs MOVE ON!! Some comments here are possibly from those that have never played the game. It’s a contact sport & even in the close encounters I was no Angel at the time. Not only in the verbal exchanges either!
‘How to apologise without really apologising.’
Tuc Du Nard
Roar Rookie
He just doesn’t get it! One week was so meaningless he now feels throat slitting gestures (and now all players will think it too) are a grey area. Imagine if middle fingers were normal responses to a big tackle. Not a life threatening gesture but would be laughed at, but certainly unsportsmanlike. IMO any aggressive gesture towards another player is unsportsmanlike. Simple. You have hard legal tackles to make your point, not a pokey nasty face gutless gesture that is directed at a smaller player. Passive aggressive bullying? :)
Malotru
Roar Rookie
But it's essentially a complete gray area, so where do you draw the lines Ouch? If Savea had grabbed someone by the throat and attempted to throttle them during a match, that would be considered to be foul play. Gestures/comments are actually pretty meaningless unless they are obviously derogatory. So far as I can tell no one, other than Hodge believed he was actually going to kill. You play hard sports, you can expect passions to run high. Storm in a teacup.
Danny McGowan
Roar Rookie
Well no it doesn't it is a fair enough question in general, and he not in anyway saying he was ok, just asking what the unsportsmanlike thing is. Same as sledging, is it sportsmanlike, he saying it's ok, but really is that sportsmanlike? And when does it get to being unsportsmanlike? When it's racial, or sexual. or if you threaten to hurt someone? I know when I played (a lot of yrears back)if you yelled at a player trying to catch ball it was unsportsmanlike behaviour and penalty, but a ref would heard you call a player (names) or said you would injure someone it was just a shrug of the shoulders. See while I agree and from what I have heard Ardie says is what he did was wrong, but does it actually come as unsportsmanlike, or is it more just what shocks people?
Wizz
Roar Rookie
If he had pulled a switch Blade out of his undies and said when you come off this is waiting for ya than id concede overstepping but it's a gesture open to interpretation.All blacks thought as a whole it was fine not long ago how we have progressed !!
cs
Roar Guru
I'm dimly reminded of when we would once proudly say 'we might have lost the match but we won the fight'. Professionalism and changing social norms have almost completely extinguished the springs of that old sentiment. It's as irritating as it is amusing to see such a disproportionate focus on a gesture so small, fleeting and, as the response shows, endangered. I guess it makes a good tv grab.
cs
Roar Guru
Or so Ardie hopes ...
Broken Shoulder
Roar Rookie
You’d like to think so yet…here we are again.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Yes. Hopefully everyone acts like a grownup. Not too much to ask?
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I sincerely hope this weekend is the end of this but I doubt it. As an avid reader of the Roar may I request that we don't ever ask a question related to it again? I'd like to think the Tahs players were smart enough and grown up enough to ignore it. Sledging looks silly if we don't get the bickies
Filstrup
Roar Rookie
Excuses and apologies, all fake, aiming at a short 1 week suspension. Now showing his real face. I shot the sheriff But I didn’t shoot no deputy, oh no, oh I shot the sheriff But I didn’t shoot no deputy, ooh, ooh, ooh
Broken Shoulder
Roar Rookie
Rush of blood to the head. I don’t care anymore. Probably best put by Monty Python “Yes, get on with it!”
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Sledging in sport ? Who would have ever imagined :silly: ...But The King is alas dead ( Muhammed Ali ) ..Long live The King !
RuckingFun
Roar Rookie
Personally enjoyed it. Would love to see some Australian players show that amount of passion in a match
OTN
Roar Rookie
What rubbish. To be sanctioned for an innocuous gesture. What is becoming of Rugby, everyday it is becoming a little bit more like soccer. Savea as a South African I love what you do, please don't let the snowflakes take away the fire. Can't wait for the next AB vs Springboks game, it would kill me if you came with PC mittens on.
Loosey
Roar Rookie
A carton of XPA for the Waratahs player that gets him carded. :laughing:
James584
Roar Rookie
Ardie, it’s very simple mate. What you did was unsportsmanlike. We don’t have to provide you with a definitive definition of ‘unsportsmanlike’. Each instance is assessed on its merits. We don’t prejudge or exclude anything. What you did shocked a lot of people. Others make excuses for you. Sounds like you prefer the excuses. That is disappointing and not what I expected. It also puts your previous apparent contrition into a different light.
Ouch
Roar Rookie
What does unsportsmanlike [conduct] look like?” it looks like the thing you got suspended for.
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Sledging loses its appeal when the target gives you permission ahead of time.