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Tue 11 Oct 2011 | 01:42
Chris Hala'ufia banned for seven weeks for dangerous tackle on Olly Morgan

21
Comments

London Irish number eight Chris Hala'Ufia has been suspended from rugby for seven weeks following a dangerous tackle on Olly Morgan during the Aviva Premiership match between the Exiles and Gloucester at Kingsholm.

Hala'Ufia was yellow carded and later cited for the high tackle on Morgan during the 33-30 defeat on October 1st. He admitted to the RFU charge of making a dangerous tackle.

"Hala'ufia was duly suspended by the RFU disciplinary panel for seven weeks and will be able to play again on November 29 2011," a Rugby Football Union statement read.

The 32 year old Tongan is no stranger to falling foul of the law, having faced numerous suspensions in recent times. He was banned for four weeks for striking Leinster's Leo Cullen in January last year, then shortly afterwards picked up another suspension for a dangerous tackle against Wasps.

Earlier this year he got an eight week suspension for a dangerous charge no Northampton Saints' Shane Geraghty. All of these incidents will no doubt have played a part in this current suspension.

If you were referee on the day and saw the incident clearly, would you have red carded him?

Posted By: Grant Constable

21 Comments

  • pretanivirago
    3:16 AM 15/10/2011

    hooligan...he's in the wrong sport...

  • tree
    7:33 PM 13/10/2011

    The difference with this tackle and Samo's tackle in the post above is a matter of maybe half a second of timing and some poor execution. He got a yellow... his head was in the wrong spot for Morgan and for himself. The yellow was sufficent.

  • buzzkillington
    8:28 PM 12/10/2011

    I think a 4 week ban is enough. It was a ridiculous 'tackle' and the outcome was horrendous but I actually think he make's a genuine attempt to tackle legally.

    It's easy to say "if it's a few inches lower"(although in the case the issue isn't the height of the table but the positioning) in hindsight I know, but I think the outcome is far worse than the intention. He intended to hit him late and hard - I have no doubt about that - but I'm not sold he intended to hit him high or actually use his head maliciously. More than anything I think if you look at the replay 0:45 seconds into the video, to me, his tucking of the head looks like an attempt at self protection, after coming in on an incorrect angle. I also don't believe, on that angle, that the tackle was high. Which sounds ridiculous because obviously Morgan was hit directly in the chin, but the shoulder contact seems to be low enough. It looks more like stupidity, he put his head in the wrong place and paid the price. Nothing particularly indicative of malicious intent though. People put their head on the wrong side in the tackle all the time.

    The main problem with Rugby is not the rules but the faux outrage every time something goes wrong. People seem to judge and condemn incidents and players on emotion and outrage. A bit of a soccer mentality that's creeping into the game.

    This was a bad tackle and he endangered Morgan with his recklessness. That's all I think it is. I wouldn't say Rugby has turned soft for punishing Hala'ufia, but I'd argue the length and severity of the punishment is soft, and the over reaction by rugby fans is soft.

    From reading some of these comments you'd think Hala'ufia shot up a nursery! I wonder if Wilkinson made this tackle what the consensus would be.

  • buzzkillington
    8:05 PM 12/10/2011

    Most tetraplegics are injured through LEGAL aspects of the game. What a silly comment to make.

  • colombes
    1:53 PM 12/10/2011

    berk! awful, nasty and vicious tackle
    7 weeks is correct in the IRB ban classification, but not enough, considering the "palmares" of of the player. he is a recidivist and he has been often involved in cheap shots in mauls

  • flyingpepper
    1:07 PM 12/10/2011

    Not trying to overly defend Armitage tackle, but more I think that is under valuing this tackle to group them together. The Scottish player was falling into the tackle. Where as this one the player was upright and the tackler could see the ball had gone and then used his head, Armitage at least went with the shoulder

  • frenchie
    1:34 AM 12/10/2011

    @ Juggalo Every game/sport has rules. Read them before commenting. It should have been a red card straight, is 7 weeks a fair ban? I don't know.

  • uhtiger
    11:41 PM 11/10/2011

    They already do allow elbows, i mean Dylan Hartly did it on Richie Mccaw in clear view of the ref, and it was shown on the big screen and neither the ref, touchies or the match review board did anything so it must be legal.

  • d0m3
    9:50 PM 11/10/2011

    This is not really different from the Armitage "tackle" against Scotland. And he got nothing during the match and only 1 week suspension. But unfortunately for him, this player is not English.

  • hendogo
    9:40 PM 11/10/2011

    Horrible tackle. I barley even call it a tackle. What was he thinking, nothing about that hit was remotely the correct way to tackle?

  • eggman
    9:00 PM 11/10/2011

    Yeah mate I totally agree with you. Penalties and cards should only get handed out if the tackled player dies or if we're very harsh turns paraplegic. Please stop turning rugby into a sport for wusses

  • juggernauter
    8:45 PM 11/10/2011

    I know bro, just having a laugh...

  • xenophile
    8:14 PM 11/10/2011

    I think if I was one of Morgan's teammates, I'd still be hitting that prick. That was BRUTAL... If he'd hit him a few inches higher, say in the temple, Morgan could very well be done.

  • juggernauter
    7:59 PM 11/10/2011

    No place for this in rugby, but gouging and punching absolutely deserve more punishment than a bad tackle, or even an assault. This is very dangerous and ill disciplined and deserves a booking and a ban, but the citing comissioner desperatley need some consistency.

    I think refs must stop being afraid to show the reds when required... although never be as traumed as Nigel Owens!

    Cheers

  • irishref
    7:18 PM 11/10/2011

    oh dear, that's a pretty shocking challenge.

  • guy
    7:09 PM 11/10/2011

    There's absolutely nothing wrong with it...

    ...with the ban, that is.

    Ceri obviously never played rugby himself. Or he was just kidding.

    Definitely not doing the Tongans proud.

  • 6:45 PM 11/10/2011

    Yeahhhh!!! Rugby ought to have more headbutting! Maybe the IRB will toughen up and we can elbow people in the face during mauls, too! And kick jumpers in the nuts during lineouts!

    Congratulations, ceri, for the dumbest comment so far this year. To everyone else: the year isn't over yet, so you still have a chance!

  • vigilante_man
    5:53 PM 11/10/2011

    Late, high, and no attempt to wrap. If he had've wrapped and kept it low, nobody would care.

  • anton
    5:31 PM 11/10/2011

    Soooo red :)

  • patrick
    5:23 PM 11/10/2011

    keep banning him more until he learns you cant do that!

  • 5:15 PM 11/10/2011

    That's not even a tackle, that's assault.

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