Tialata should get a week.
Good on Dane for giving some back, Hale pride;)
Printable View
Tialata should get a week.
Good on Dane for giving some back, Hale pride;)
Victory of sorts as Canes prop banned
By JIM KAYES - The Dominion Post | Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Victory of sorts as Canes prop banned - Rugby news & coverage - Stuff.co.nz
The word "victory" was off limits with the Hurricanes yesterday, but they've had one already this week.
Prop Neemia Tialata could afford to smile after he was banned for only one game for a dangerous tackle on Force wing Dane Haylett-Petty, when he flipped him over, suplex-style.
He will miss Friday night's "quarterfinal" against the Blues in Auckland but will be available if they win at Eden Park and secure a place in next week's Super 14 playoffs.
Judicial officer Chris Morris, who spent Monday night considering his verdict, provided only a cursory explanation for his decision.
He said Tialata's tackle had "presented an unacceptable level of risk of injury to the tackled player".
There was no explanation for why he cut the International Rugby Board's recommended lower end penalty of two weeks in half except for a comment that Tialata had admitted the tackle was "poorly executed".
Tialata said yesterday he had been worried as he watched a replay of the tackle on the screen at Westpac Stadium last Friday night, and was relieved with the penalty.
"One week is enough. I was worried at the start. It took a bit of time to get the outcome but I'm happy with one week and I accept it."
Tialata said he remembered wrapping his arms around Haylett-Petty's waist. "Then I saw saw his legs come over the top. It wasn't supposed to happen like that but it did."
The Hurricanes spent four hours on Monday arguing Tialata's case and coach Colin Cooper said a "thorough process" had produced a good result.
"One week is good because it brings Neemia back in, hopefully, for later. It would have been good to have him available but it makes it easy on selections because the front-rowers have been putting a lot of pressure on each other."
Tialata will be replaced at loosehead by John Schwalger with Tim Fairbrother set to mark All Black Tony Woodcock on the tighthead side of the scrum.
Flanker Jerry Collins is expected to be named at blindside flanker today after he missed the last three games with a rib injury. Chris Masoe will probably shift back to the openside with Scott Waldrom in a tussle with his brother, Thomas, for a place on the bench.
There is again no room for Shannon Paku with Hosea Gear on the right wing and Tamati Ellison on the bench.
Friday's match is expected to be played in front of the biggest crowd at Eden Park this year, with talk that it might be as high as 30,000.
The Blues have responded to the early hype by limiting media access to their players, while Cooper said the Hurricanes could stay focused.
"It's live or die, that's how we're approaching it," Cooper said. "It will certainly be entertaining.
"We have a lot of experience in the group and they are making sure we don't get ahead of ourselves."
While a win will secure the Hurricanes a semifinal, victory for the Blues won't - they need a few other results to go their way. Hooker Keven Mealamu said they were relaxed about what could be a tortuous weekend.
"It's good for us to play on Friday, because there's not as much pressure as when you know the other results and exactly what you have to do. It means we just concentrate on playing well and making sure we get the points."
The team. Hurricanes (likely): Cory Jane, Hosea Gear, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Zac Guildford, Willie Ripia, Piri Weepu, Rodney So'oialo, Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins, Jason Eaton, Jeremy Thrush, Tim Fairbrother, Andrew Hore, John Schwalger. Reserves: Hikawera Elliot, Jacob Ellison, Craig Clarke, Scott Waldrom or Thomas Waldrom, Alby Mathewson, Jimmy Gopperth, Tamati Ellison.
Weepu one lucky player
My point, Bamm Bamm gets a card for his second offside in the match, when I don't believe he was even offside, but Weepu stomps with only a warning, and Tialata pulls off a tackle worthy of a week off but only gives up a penalty!
Kaplan REALLY doesn't like us does he?