27:35
George Smith masterfully schools disciplinary hearing panel
There are few more iconic images than George Smith in his Wallabies kit, dreadlocks swinging, as he dives head-first into a ruck.
However, following a controversial red card for a tackle on Saracens’ Jackson Wray, Smith decided to give an off-field lesson to the Premiership Rugby judiciary.
Rather than plead his case, Smith calmly explained that his actions weren’t illegal. He reenacted the tackle in order to show how the position of the ball effected the impact of the tackle.
His explanation forced the panel to conclude that the initial contact didn’t make any direct connection with Wray’s head. They ruled that the ball being between the two players caused a whiplash motion and Smith was exonerated.
Turning up to your own judiciary and schooling the panel in the physics of rugby. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The former test flanker has had an astonishing career. His 111 caps make him the second most capped forward in Wallaby history, and over nearly twenty years, he has enjoyed successful stints with clubs in Australia, France and Great Britain.
The 38-year-old is still playing at the highest level. He has spent the past 3 seasons playing top-tier rugby in England, and currently wreaks havoc for the Bristol Bears.
Smith is used to displaying his tactical nuance for the game. Last year he was brought in by Eddie Jones as a consultant for England, schooling the lads on the art of Rugby.
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