Simmons cops eight

[zed]

So you agree its not worth 8 weeks?

I don't know really. I guess they are trying to prevent these kinds of tackles at grass roots level where there are a lot of injuries. So by imposing a harsh penalty it kind of makes players more aware of it.

[Invictus]

Realistically, an 8 week ban would be applicable to a tackle where the tackler remained on his feet, upended the ball carrier and dropped him on his head/point of shoulder. Longer bans would be applicable to tackles where the player is driven into the ground head first.

So no, it isn't worth 8 weeks. The tackle was clumsy more than anything else. Two weeks would be fair.

As for one week for rucking the head of a player, that is just ridiculous. 4 week minimum.

[Hansie]

Where does intent come into it???

Simmo was dumb, but in the heat of battle, running angles you'd have to draw a long straw to say he lined up Yannick Frog and intended to spear tackle him.

Thommo, lined up a scalp, looked at it, thought about it, and did it...surely he intended to hurt???

[The InnFORCEr]

So now, not just Richie, but the entire All Black team are a Protected Species acording to the iRB.

[normie]

The problem with rugby is that it is run by private school ninnies

In the mungoes it would be lauded as a good tackle

In a game that is becomming disturbingly over officiated by pedants of the old school tie and "don't hurt little Jonnie" brigade, a good hit rubs you out for half a season

.......and it's like playing roulette

No consistency

Agree, Fulla, a good solid mungo tackle. However, maybe close to a 'dangerous throw' and a penalty.

[James]

Both Sam Warburton and Rory Sidey only got three weeks for equally bad tackles last year.

[westies man]

Tackles like that are how players end up in wheelchairs ,end of story.He speared him into the ground.Every player know's if you take an opposition player past the horizontal line you run the risk of his head or shoulder making contact with the ground first.As with any spear tackle you do have time to pull out of it.As for Thompson I would of thought at least 8 weeks cos a stomp is a stomp irrespective of circumstances.It's just like a spear tackle,he didn't need to do it

[sittingbison]

..The irb have proven that they're scared of the AllBlacks, which means the cheating bastards will remain the unquestioned best team in the universe until they get a level playing field

surely not THESE cheating bastards?

[GAFFA]

what did warburton get during the RWC? nothing near 12 weeks

[The InnFORCEr]

Yep, no punishment at all.

Aparently though one of the two, I think Tana, gave his jumper to O'Driscoll as token "sorry".

[GAFFA]

in defence to the IRB (never thought i would say that) the reason there was no punishment was because the footage they had from the game didnt show what we see on the tape above. That came from someone in the crowed and by the time it came out to the public it was outside the suspension time frame, so no action could take place.

[westies man]

. The irb have proven that they're scared of the AllBlacks, which means the cheating bastards will remain the unquestioned best team in the universe until they get a level playing field

Call me biased Gigs but I think the reason the All Blacks are No1 runs a little bit deeper than the abovementioned

[shasta]

OK. Your're biased. Correct but biased.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Political BS]

That tackle on O'Driscoll is an absolute shocker.
There is a lot of inconsistency in Judicary decisions and that needs to be fixed!!

[jargan83]

The Wallabies are expected to appeal the severity of the eight-week ban handed to lock Rob Simmons for a lifting tackle against France.

The suspension was dished out to Simmons at a International Rugby Board (IRB) disciplinary hearing in London on Thursday (EDT).

Reserve lock Simmons lifted France flanker Yannick Nyanga during the Wallabies' 33-6 European tour opening defeat in Paris on Saturday.

Simmons's ban came on the same day the IRB gave a one-week suspension to New Zealand's Adam Thomson for stamping on the head of Scotland's Alasdair Strokosch during the All Blacks' 51-22 victory at Murrayfield last weekend.

The apparent inconsistencies of the two bans are believed to have the Wallabies puzzled and looking for answers from the IRB.

Judicial officer for the IRB Robert Williams, who heard Simmons's case, said the forward's tackle was at the high end of the scale of sanctions.

"We're disappointed in the decision but I haven't had the opportunity to read the decision yet and obviously we'll do that before we settle on whether that's the end of the matter or not," Deans said.

"There is the potential to appeal but we'll have to consider his decision, the wording of it, the transcript of it ... it's not something we would do lightly."

Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wa...#ixzz2CH5ydErR