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Les Kiss’ hopes of turning around the Reds’ season had been dealt a blow, with star duo Fraser McReight and Tate McDermott to miss Friday night’s clash with the Highlanders duo to suspension.
The Wallabies pair were shown yellow cards during their 17-14 loss to Moana Pasifika across the ditch on Friday night for reckless high tackles, before it was determined that they both met the red card threshold.
McDermott recklessly lashed out with his arm during the process of a tackle in the 47th minute, while McReight’s body height went up as he collected Moana playmaker William Havili in the jaw in the 75th minute.
William Havili is tackled high by Fraser McReight at Semenoff Stadium, on April 12, 2024, in Whangarei, New Zealand. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
Unsurprisingly, both were called up to face a SANZAAR Judiciary hearing on Monday night where it was determined that both incidents were mid-range indiscretions.
McDermott will not only miss the clash against the Highlanders, but also the trans-Tasman fixtures against the Blues and Crusaders.
“The entry point for the offence was 6 weeks (assessed as mid-range for intentional and deliberate physical abuse of striking with arm to the side of the victim player’s head where the victim player was in an vulnerable position with limited ability, if any, to defend himself),” Foul Play Review Committee Chairman Stephen Hardy ruled.
“The Player was given a discount for entering an early guilty plea (and other relevant mitigating factors including remorse and prior disciplinary record), reducing the suspension from 6 weeks to 3 weeks. The Player is therefore suspended up to and including 4 May 2024.
“In providing the Player the Sanction, the Foul Play Review Committee emphasised that this sort of incident is not tolerated in any form of the game.”
“It’s not ideal and it wasn’t ideal during the game,” Kiss said.
“He’s ridden that hard, as he would. It’s uncharacteristic. The situation has now been dealt with. Tate will add value around the place just like others who are injured would.”
After being shown red cards during their 17-14 loss to Moana Pasifika, Fraser McReight and Tate McDermott were handed three-match bans. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
McReight too had a six-week ban halved due to his remorse and prior record, but will likely miss just two matches should he, as expected, complete a “Head Contact Process – Coaching Intervention” process”.
“Applying World Rugby’s Head Contact Process, the FPRC assessed the Player’s actions as including direct head contact which was made to the victim player with the Player’s shoulder at high speed, with the Player’s body position always upright and moving upwards and towards the collision. The FPRC assessed the act as reckless,” Hardy ruled.
“The FPRC was concerned by the “upright nature of the tackle” and determined that it was an “always illegal” act of foul play. In those circumstances mitigation would not apply.
“Even if it was not an “always illegal” act of foul play, there was, in the FPRC’s view, no sudden or significant change in height or direction, a late change in dynamics (or any other relevant mitigating factor set out within the Head Contact Process) to result in mitigation sufficient to downgrade the incident to a yellow card.
“The entry point for the offence was 6 weeks (assessed as mid-range in line with World Rugby’s mandate and given there were no other factors applicable, in this instance, to increase the entry point). The Player was given a discount for entering an early guilty plea (and other relevant mitigating factors including remorse and prior disciplinary record), reducing the suspension from 6 weeks to 3 weeks.”
The bans add to the frustration of a third straight defeat for the Reds, who started the season in promising fashion after three wins from their opening four matches.
But the loss of McReight and McDermott will stretch their depth ahead of another winnable clash against the Highlanders, who went down badly to the Rebels last Saturday.
“We have to deal with that,” Kiss added.
“The opportunity in this now is to give a little bit more exposure to players who were playing off the bench and other players in the program to step up too.”
The Reds expected the duo to miss some game time, but they will likely raise their eyebrows at the inconsistency at play, particularly after Drua prop Jone Koroiduadua was banned for just two weeks after a head-butt on Alex Mafi.
It led to Rebels coach Kevin Foote questioning the criteria used to assess the ban.
“There is intent there, whether he lands it or not is irrelevant,” said Foote.
“If Mafi has his head forward at that stage and he hits him, does that make it worse?
“That is malicious. My understanding is if you make any contact with the head, we have been told that is top, top, top suspension – and he gets two weeks.
“(Koroiduadua) was on a mission. There was a late hit on Carter (Gordon) and there was something with Ryan (Louwrens) just before that.
“But then to obviously headbutt on top of that, I mean come on.”
Kiss will address the media on Tuesday.
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.