Pocock Banned for 3 Weeks

April 5, 2016
Pocock banned for three weeks


Duty Judicial Officer: Adam Cassleden
Player: David Pocock
Team: Brumbies
Position: Flanker
Date of Incident: 2 April 2016
Nature of Offence: Law 10.4 (e) Playing a player without the ball is dangerous play.
Elapsed time in match when offence occurred: 74th minute

The SANZAAR Duty Judicial Officer Adam Cassleden has accepted a guilty plea from David Pocock of the Brumbies for contravening Law 10.4(e) Playing a player without the ball is dangerous play, after he was cited during a Super Rugby Match at the weekend.

Pocock grasped the neck of Chiefs No. 8 Michael Leitch during a maul in the 74th minute of the match between the Brumbies and Chiefs at GIO Stadium in Canberra on 2 April 2016.

Pocock has been given a three week suspension for the incident and is suspended up to and including Sunday 24th April. Due to the fact the Brumbies have a scheduled bye in Round 7, Pocock will miss Round 8 and Round 9 of Super Rugby, in effect making it a two-match sanction.

SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Adam Cassleden assessed the case. In his finding, Mr Cassleden ruled the following:

"Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and additional evidence, including from the player and submissions from his legal representative I accepted the player’s admission that he had committed an act of foul play contrary to law 10.4(e).

"In its Memorandum on “Dangerous tackles (high tackles), dangerous grasping of neck and/or head area of player not in possession of the ball and dangerous grasping/holding of ball carrier above the line of the shoulder” dated 22 May 2015, World Rugby stated “this type of dangerous play which is foul play must be dealt with severely by match officials and all those involved in the disciplinary process.”

"With respect to sanction I deemed the act of foul play merited a low-end entry point of two weeks. I then added one week for aggravation due to the need to deter this type of dangerous foul play. However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player’s early plea, his good character, his genuine remorse and his excellent disciplinary record I reduced the suspension to a period of two games.”

"The player accepted my indication of sanction and is therefore suspended from all forms of rugby up to and including Sunday, 24 April 2016. The player is free to resume playing on 25 April 2016.”

http://www.sanzarrugby.com/superrugb...r-three-weeks/

So 2 games

Does this mean that if anyone else commits the same during a match he will be red carded?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SNOB

Does this mean that if anyone else commits the same during a match he will be red carded?

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I hope so. Only then will we see it start to get phased out.

Attached is a copy of the Memo from May 2015.

Attachment 4291


PS Maybe I should email a copy to Andrew Lees.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by andrewg

PS Maybe I should email a copy to Andrew Lees.

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It can't hurt, It's not like he wasted any of his time listening to Hodgo talking about it.

Let it go folks, there was a Citing Commissioner at the match. There were no citings from the match.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ecky

There were no citings from the match.

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Thanks Ecky - always good to be bought back to the nub of the problem.

And there-in lies the problem when the Memorandum from World Rugby and the reinforcement before the RWC is so clear.

And these neck grabs are being handled so differently by refs elsewhere.

If we let the matter go, unskilled or careless tacklers will keep on putting other players safety and livelihoods at risk.

Having also watched the Waratahs v Rebels game I reckon that Andrew Lees has a problem in that he just isn't looking for/or doesn't see the neck grabbing incidents as his focus is on the ball or immediate contact points.

If this IS the case then this could be overcome by more input from the TMO (as the ARs most likely have their focus elsewhere) or a return to AR or Shute Shield so that he can focus on what I, and World Rugby, consider to be an important aspect of the game.

I understand that Andrew Lees, in his own self-assessment, after the Brumbies v Force game, was very self-critical of his efforts.
IMO - rightly so.

In the Pocock/Leitch incident I can understand the Ref or ARs or even TMO not picking up the foul/dangerous play at the time as it was lost withing the workings of a large maul.
However, the Citing Officer did give the incident the appropriate treatment after the game in a manner which respects the motivation behind the World Rugby directive and my own concerns.

I understand what you are saying, but the point remains that there was a Citing Commissioner at the :force: v Brumbies match. And he has the opportunity to review the entire game in replay, either immediately after or within a day or two. The Citing Commissioner made no citings from that match.

I watched the game live and have not seen a replay.

I was in a group that A Lees addressed the day after the match which addressed hie pre-match "work-ons" and how he went relative to that list. He hadn't had the benefit of watching a replay of it at that point. His personal referee coach was also present. We did not address specific incidents in the match.

I imagine he & his coach did a full and complete analysis on the trip back east and in following days. Don't know the outcome.

STAR Wallabies and Brumbies flanker David Pocock has penned a heartfelt apology over the incident that resulted in the first suspension of his Super Rugby career.

Pocock was on Tuesday handed a three-week suspension for grabbing the neck of Chiefs No.8 Michael Leitch in the Brumbies’ 48-23 loss on Saturday. He will only miss two matches because the Brumbies have the bye this weekend.

Pocock pleaded guilty to SANZAR’s charge of dangerous play but took things a step further on Wednesday, posting an apology on his personal website and an accompanying note on Twitter.

Pocock said he was disappointed in his actions and apologised directly to Leitch, the Chiefs, his teammates and “all those who follow rugby”.

He also effectively thanked SANZAR for suspending him saying he was grateful “they are concerned about making the game safer for all of us”.

Pocock’s full apology read:

“Yesterday I faced the judiciary for the first time in my rugby career. I am incredibly disappointed with my actions. I endeavour to play the game I love in a way that reflects the kind of toughness and decency I think rugby can teach us.

On Saturday night I did not live up to those standards, placing Michael Leitch in danger by binding on his neck in a maul. It was not my intention to hurt Michael, but in these sorts of circumstances it is not intention that matters. I am grateful that World Rugby and SANZAR are concerned about making the game safer for all of us.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologise again to Michael. And to apologise to the Chiefs, Brumbies and all those who follow rugby. I’d also like to apologise to my team mates who I will let down over the next few weeks while suspended.

Dave”

Link to the article: http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/d...4ecfda1ea2c790

Link to the apology on David Pococks website: http://www.davidpocock.com/davidpocock/

wonder if his PR manager charged him OT for suggesting he write that up.

I think he would be capable of that on his own, perhaps with some assistance from Emma ;)

Have you read his book?

A great read :approve: