Stephen Larkham has questioned whether rugby should join world sport’s crackdown on hip-drop tackles after Lachlan Lonergan’s “nasty” ankle injury likely ruled the Test hooker out for the season.
The ACT Brumbies No.2 was stretchered from Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night with a fractured and dislocated ankle after he was felled by Queensland Reds halfback Tate McDermott in a tackle.
McDermott made contact with the larger-bodied Lonergan from the side before his legs left the ground and became entangled, sending the Brumbies star to the turf.
Referred to as a hip-drop tackle, the action now attracts harsh punishment in the NRL and has recently been outlawed in the NFL.
Lachlan Lonergan of the Brumbies is stretchered off the field after suffering an injury during the round six Super Rugby Pacific match between Queensland Reds and ACT Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium, on March 30, 2024, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Former Wallabies star-turned Brumbies coach Larkham said he hadn’t seen many instances of it in his code of choice, but that he did take issue with McDermott’s effort on Saturday.
“Yeah. I think it’s legal; you get your arms on first, then you’re allowed to trip,” he said after his side’s 20-19 defeat of the Reds in Brisbane.
“It’s just nasty, isn’t it? There’s nothing illegal about it but obviously it’s caused a significant injury and needs to be looked into.”
Star Hurricanes and All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard also suffered a knee injury in a tackle during Saturday’s earlier game.
Former Reds and Wallabies star Quade Cooper was watching from Japan and posted on social media that was “one reason the hip drop needs to be outlawed”.
Cooper had presciently posted three days earlier that the hip-drop tackle should be outlawed in rugby, saying “there’s a lot of focus of tackle height, but this in particular would be welcome by most”
Larkham said the club wouldn’t cite the incident but doesn’t want the technique seeping into the code.
“I’d have to look at it again … but if there’s a trend going there and it’s causing significant injury you have to look at it,” he said.
“But I haven’t seen it this year in rugby and I don’t know whether Tate does it on a regular basis.”
Lonergan’s brother and Brumbies halfback Ryan captained the side and admitted he was shaken at halftime after the incident.
“I found it pretty tough at halftime, to be honest, it was first time I could reflect on it,” he said.
“After that it goes back to doing your job. I’ll go see him (at hospital) and see how he’s doing. I’m sure he’ll get on with it.”
The Brumbies’ victory moved them to 5-1 while the Reds (3-3) will enter the bye with back-to-back defeats.
Cec
Roar Rookie
:laughing: temper, temper, temper my dear boy…just as I thought Skippy and you just proved it…Let us know when you’ve cooled down and then you can come back and join the adults.
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
"It should definitely be banned … today." It is and severely punished in that code where it is supposed to be a blight. Meanwhile, in another code not too far removed ......
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
Added to that, the NRL has the hip drop tackle outlawed and severely punished. It is also the case that weeks can go by without a single punishable hip drop tackle occurring in the NRL so I struggle to see how this can possibly be an NRL Blight! In fact and from this writer's piece and allowing the broadest interpretation of what these tackles are, it sounds like it is Rugby that has the biggest problem here and not the NRL/NFL. It is clear to me that the title of this piece is doing nothing but trying to stir code rivalry emotions to try and attract readers to this article. A shabby practice at best.
Keggy
Roar Rookie
But perfectly legal right now. :thumbup:
Keggy
Roar Rookie
The NRL abolished scrums too as a contest. They know everything. Let's follow them.
Keggy
Roar Rookie
Can't be grubby if it's legal. You're just salty a midget took down a michellin man.
Skippy89
Roar Rookie
Your question and answer is stupid and you are seriously a half wit. Your probably going to raise a little soy boy. I suggest you take whats left of your balls out of your wifes purse. If my kid plays rugby I accept in the hundreds of collisions a game that he may get injured. If my kids beeaks his ankle in a tackle that is not illegal, I accept thats part of the game just as much as it could happen in any tackle or indeed, he could break someone elses ankle in a tackle. And that is the crux of it. You have your knickers in a knot about a tackle that has upset you because of the outcome and not because it was intentional and or illegal, and was not a “hip drop” tackle . If no injury to Lonergan you and no one else would even be talking about it…and you could go back to your daily whinge about being misgendered at workor whatever else upsets you as the delicate little flower you are.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Short Arm, Tate had other options. How about hit, stick and drive (keep your feet) which is a practice drill. Hip drops are not practice drills as they cause “20 times” more injury to the lower leg.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Pub test again Skips. You didn’t answer this pub test question last time. So, are you okay for some player to do Tate’s tackle to your own kid at a game? A non-reply is also a reply of “No, I’m not okay for that tackle to be laid onto my kid’s leg at a game”.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Remember there are no accidents in Rugby. Every single act is full of 117% intent. :unhappy:
Fin
Roar Rookie
"This young man plays for my team. My Team! And I will defend him like he is my own son against you or any other."
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Web address for photo? However I just viewed the video here on the Roar and I doubt I will be convinced. I couldn’t see it yesterday and the zoomed image was a better angle than the one I saw on X, and it looks like Tate has a firm grip on Lonergan and intentionally swings his legs around Lonergan’s legs.
Dualcode
Roar Rookie
And the number 1 scrummy in Australia stuffs it with that tackle which is very questionable.
Paulie
Roar Rookie
If the mungos are outlawing this tackle its got to be dangerous right!
Skippy89
Roar Rookie
Check out picture here. Case closed everyone. Lonergan bumps/fends him off… as upper body goes backwards legs go forward… pure physics. No hip drop. https://www..com.au/story/8574514/hip-drop-under-rugby-microscope-after-lonergan-injury/
Messy Jog
Roar Rookie
That's the point of the article - it isn't illegal yet but Quade and others suggest it should be, which seems to me a fair suggestion.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
No way is it accidental. He made the legal tackle and then swung his legs to bring down Lonergan because it was the only way he could physically complete the tackle.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
What is the hip drop rule in NRL? Hip Drops. A hip drop tackle is where a defending player in joining or committing a tackle, drops or uses their own body weight to apply pressure to an opponent's legs in such a way as to constitute an unacceptable risk of injury to the tackled player, this will constitute Dangerous Contact. Interesting that the Tate tackle does not fit the broad view of what is a hip drop tackle, or the NRL explanatory videos, but does fit within the definition. Some have referred to Price's Cumberland Throw which is essentially a trip but is technically legal if the arms make first contact. This probably fits more closely under that definition. The Hip Drop, Tate's variation and the Cumberland Throw are all dangerous tackles with a high risk of injury, and I cannot see why they cannot be penalised, or the tackler cited, under the current rules.
Woolfe
Roar Rookie
You know this is The Roar Rugby Union site don'y you? :silly:
Margaret Freemantle
Legal or not, a grubby act