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Wed 20 Apr 2016 | 09:58
Fergus McFadden suspended for three weeks for this dangerous high tackle

8
Comments

Leinster's Fergus McFadden has been banned for three weeks for this awful looking tackle against Edinburgh in the PRO12 in Dublin on Friday. McFadden launched into Damien Hoyland, stopping him dead in his tracks but coming off worse for wear.

McFadden appeared before an independent PRO12 Rugby Disciplinary COmmitt in Cardiff today, having been cited for a dangerous tackle in contravention of Law 10.4(e).

The Leinster back denied committing an act of foul play, but after all video footage was viewed and other evidence presented, the committee found that he had indeed committed a reckless high and dangerous tackle.

The Disciplinary Committee determined that the offending merited a lower-end entry point based on World Rugby's scale of seriousness, which carries a two-week playing suspension.

The Disciplinary Committee added a week to the entry point suspension (giving three weeks in total) on account of an aggravating factor, namely the need for a deterrence to combat a pattern of offending.

They determined that there were insufficient mitigating factors to warrant any reduction in the playing suspension, and McFadden was therefore suspended for three weeks.

Posted By: Grant Constable

8 Comments

  • drg
    10:12 PM 23/04/2016

    I beg to differ, judging by that screenshot for this article I'd say McFaddens right arm is somewhat wrapped, that is an attempt at minimum...

    Hit low and drive up is quite a common technique around the rugby pitch in many different facets - scrums, rucks, mauls and indeed tackles.. McFadden just hit high...

  • larry
    2:46 PM 23/04/2016

    The tackler came off worse for wear, and that's what can happen with these crash tackles. Also, the injury could have gone the other way, and there could have been a concussion. There was absolutely no attempt to wrap the arms around the ball carrier. The tackler also dipped and came up with the shoulder charge. This is how tackling is taught in Amerian football. I'm American, and have played that game. It's legal to tackle that way with the helmets and pads, though hitting the helmet is off limits.
    One other thing: that blue wing looks to be of some size. And of course that's how the game has evolved, with more flanker-sized and even second-row sized players in the backs.

  • drg
    11:36 PM 21/04/2016

    No reduction... evidently McFadden doesn't have a twitter account...

    I hope the referee, touch judges and also TMO all have to attend a conference and get a mark on their records as none of them appeared to spot an incident which has been viewed as ban worthy. This therefore means it must have been red card worthy and no one spotted it.. I'd imagine them being called to make a report on their actions in the game regarding this incident and attending an awareness course as well as having to sit some sort of small examination before being let loose on a rugby pitch again...

  • eddie-g
    2:32 PM 21/04/2016

    Yup, deserved. The only possible mitigation in these situations is if the ball-carrier ducks into the tackle, but that wasn't the case here.

  • 10stonenumber10
    11:05 AM 21/04/2016

    That is why a belly can be so effective, drops the c.o.g. by at least 30cm...

  • capnjax
    10:06 AM 21/04/2016

    All he had to do was get a bit lower and he would've put him down properly. Crap tackle, ban well deserved.

  • canafrikaaner
    8:25 PM 20/04/2016

    A mans centre of gravity is his chest. If you want a hard life, tackle people at chest height

  • tphillipsstl
    6:07 PM 20/04/2016

    poor tackling form strikes again. I don't think he was trying originally to go that high because he started low. But he didn't start low enough, so when he launched he came up to head height. It should also be mentioned that he's taller than Hoyland, which is all the more reason to make sure you are nice and low. He also had his head on the wrong side, but that could have been because of the little step Hoyland did right before being hit. These things all happen so fast. Long story short, bend those knees guys and tackle low.

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