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Tue 6 Mar 2018 | 03:46
Richie Mo'unga only given warning for tackle that knocked out Stormers lock

17
Comments

Crusaders number ten Richie Mo'unga was issued an off-field warning for the dangerous tackle that knocked out Stormers lock Pieter-Steph du Toit during their Super Rugby meeting in Christchurch on Saturday. This opens the tackling zero-tolerance debate again.

With the Stormers desperately needing points to get back into the contest, second rower Du Toit carried the ball well into contact, but lost possession when he was hit hard by Mo'unga. The ball spilt free and the Crusaders launched a counter-attack, which led to a try going into halftime.

The Stormers lock stayed on the turf, clearly out cold and needing attention, before he was stetchered off the field, with his night over.

The knockout blow wasn't spotted at the time, and although it looked like a regulation tackle, Mo'unga has since been warned for contravening Law 9.13 - A player must not dangerously tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously.

Off Field Warnings are issued by the Citing Commissioner for foul play incidents that are very close to, but in their opinion do not quite meet the Red Card threshold for citings. Upon further review of the match footage, it was deemed that the Warning was appropriate.

Du Toit reportedly passed his concussion test but this week will go through concussion protocols to see if he will be cleared to play in the Stormers' final tour match on Friday, against the Highlanders in Dunedin.

TACKLE DEBATE

While Du Toit clearly crouched down while going into contact, the onus is on the tackler to make the adjustment, especially in the last year or so, with World Rugby directives.

So with Mo'unga's shoulder making contact with Du Toit's head, with force, it appears as though he was very lucky to get away with it and one wonders how the referee and TMO missed it.

That comes after the standard appeared to be set when Chiefs flanker Lachlan Boshier hit Ryan Crotty high recently, giving away a penalty try and being yellow carded. 

On the flip side, it is becoming increasingly difficult for defenders, as low tackles are not always suitable in close quarters, or in the case of Boshier vs Crotty, at the tryline.

Posted By: Grant Constable

17 Comments

  • 1:15 PM 09/03/2018

    PSdT's problem was that he attempted to get into a "good" body position one pace too late, tried to bring his head down too fast, meaning he hadn't actually reached his desired "good" body position at the point of contact. Also, I was taught not to smash my face into the other guy's shoulder.

    The point about the knee bend had nothing to do with Mo'unga's body position. It is the fact that PSdT is 9 inches taller than Mo'unga when they're both upright. With the bends at the knees and waist, PSdT stands about a foot taller than Mo'unga. Even if he wanted to go high, Mo'unga would struggle to do so. But PSdT tried to go low and stuffed it up.

  • drg
    10:46 AM 09/03/2018

    ...In comes another fucking law change..

  • the_osprey
    7:21 PM 08/03/2018

    Tackle is fine. Maybe a borderline penalty if a referee is going to be really strict about "dangerous play" because the tackle is quite upright with a hint of a swinging arm, but I'd say that would have been harsh. A yellow or red on the field for this sort of thing would be enough to make me stop watching rugby out of outrage. Unfortunate with the head injury though.

  • drg
    4:21 PM 08/03/2018

    Ooops, I meant "it's a statement I DISAGREE with..."

  • drg
    9:10 AM 08/03/2018

    Wish I could like this more than once!

  • drg
    9:10 AM 08/03/2018

    I know your stance regarding yellows and reds, mine differs slightly as I personally don't think they're a bad tool to resort to, however you had highlighted the problem being faced.... Accidents appear to not happen anymore...there is always a fault, and that fault must be punished more often than not -its not a statement I agree with, but it seems to be the fact nowadays!

    I thought rememberthemers' comment down below is perfect, it highlights how futile it's all becoming and personally I'm quite shocked at how soft the comments are on this thread. No one likes to see someone sprawled out due to a head/neck injury, no one wants to BE sprawled out by a neck or head injury, but I find we're trying to get in line with a PC world and make an inherently dangerous game safe.... I am happy in a way to accept the new laws regarding contact with the head when you take into account some of the clothesline tackles we've had in the past, swinging arm to the jaws/head...however most if not all of these sorts of tackles/dangerous play were already against the laws.

    We're policing the game into an impossible corner.

  • im1
    8:03 AM 08/03/2018

    Surley the biggest problem is that the body positions of the attacker and defenders in tackle immediately before is almost identical? Should that be punished as well?

  • rememberthemer
    12:23 AM 08/03/2018

    The answer is simple boys. Just go lower ... and get suspended for a chop tackle.

  • finedisregard
    11:30 PM 07/03/2018

    Yellow and red cards and routine ejections were not historically and should not be part of the game.

    You cannot expect players to run 7 miles in a match and tackle a very fast-moving target with precision.

    Nobody did anything wrong in this clip. Accidents happen. It's unfortunate but okay. Not every mishap is foul play.

  • colombes
    9:45 AM 07/03/2018

    That's just unfortunate.
    Locks and forwards often attack the line in low position. Here, Du Toit even duck his head at the last moment. so the defender have 2 options:
    - Avoid to defend (no question)
    - Or continue his tackle (which he did)

    This have nothing to do with precedent and recent cases where contacts with head were dangerous and avoidable.

  • drg
    8:44 AM 07/03/2018

    When you see how low this guy is, how exactly does one propose to tackle him?

    You're not getting g to his legs front on, he'll knock you back.. are you supposed to let him past and take his legs from behind?

  • vladimir
    8:10 AM 07/03/2018

    I don't agree. Player are now well aware how the big locks attack the line. They can't keep trying to tackle high targetting the ball in the chest like they used to do. If they still want to tackle like this, they are everytime prone to an unfortunate high tackle. They use a double-edged technique, so be it and accept that it is sometimes dangerous if the attacker adapts his body posture. Part of the game isn't it?

    Defenders have to adapt, the same way they change now their approach under the high ball.

  • katman
    6:06 AM 07/03/2018

    Same goes for players lunging for the try line. Someone got carded the other day for a "high tackle" that was about two and a half feet off the ground. Silly, silly.

  • drg
    12:08 AM 07/03/2018

    So on the flip side....who ever gets lower has the rights to make more yards without being smashed...

  • 9:53 PM 06/03/2018

    I see a difference:

    - When the ball is in the air, players chasing it know that whoever gets the highest has rights to the ball. You therefore know that you either have to jump higher than the other guy, or allow him to land before smashing him. Agree there are marginal cases, but at least it is clear what you are supposed to do.

    - In the Mo'unga case, I genuinely don't see what he was supposed to do to avoid du Toit's head. If the ball carrier drops his head at the last second, then the tackler's only option (according to World Rugby) is to: (a) make the tackle and get carded; or (b) get out of the ball carrier's way and wish him well on his way to the try line.

  • drg
    8:52 PM 06/03/2018

    Problem is, the powers that be don't apply that set of common sense around the rest of the pitch...

    You wait for a high ball then jump at the last second and someone takes you out whilst they're reaching for the ball, it's their fault, penalty, red card etc...

  • 7:22 PM 06/03/2018

    This is just stupid. One step before the tackle, Du Toit's head is well above Mo'unga's head, let alone his shoulder. Mo'unga's body shape doesn't change, but duToit then drops his head into Mo'unga's shoulder and knocks himself out. If you charge head-first at the tackler, and your head hits the tackler, you are to blame.

    This is also not in the same category as the Boshier tackle, since Boshier grabbed Crotty round the neck, and could have released him but didn't.

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