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Wed 24 Feb 2016 | 05:32
Schalk Brits banned for three weeks after red card for punching Nick Wood

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Comments

Saracens hooker Schalk Brits was shown a red card for punching during last weekend's Aviva Premiership match against Gloucester at Allianz Park. Brits has since pleased guilty and been banned for three weeks.

The Springbok faced a discplinary hearing last night after pleading guilty to the charge of punching or striking contrary to Law 10.4(a). Chaired by Dr Julian Morris with Martyn Wood and Paula Carter, Brits has been suspended from all forms of rugby for a period of three weeks.

Brits was driven over the ball by Nick Wood, causing his knee to twist badly. He lashed out, connecting cleanly, leading referee Craig Maxwell-Keys to red card him.

"It was merely a reaction to what was happening to him at the time," said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall. "He was in a very awkward position at the time and these things happen when you are concerned for your own safety."

Wood failed his head injury assesment after going off, so was concussed from the blow.

Widely regarded as one of the nicest guys in the sport, Brits was also suspended for three weeks in 2013 after he lashed out at Owen Farrell when playing for the Barbarians.

Wood himself is no stranger to the colour red, as he was sent off after just 73 seconds in the same year, against Saracens, for a stamp on the face of Jacques Burger.

Despite the loss of Brits on this occasion, and Brad Barritt to a yellow card, Saracens won the game 25-12. You can watch highlights from the match on page two.

Posted By: Grant Constable

6 Comments

  • stroudos
    1:02 PM 26/02/2016

    Deck-chairing!? Haven't heard that term before, but it does seem very accurately descriptive.

    Only Nick Wood will know if he deckchaired Brits on purpose - I find it hard to believe any professional rugby player would do such a thing deliberately, but then you look at that Calum Clark breaking Rob Hawkins's arm and such scumbaggery doesn't sound quite as unthinkable.

    My impression is that Brits was obeying the ref's order - "Two Off" is heard around 0:04 on this video - by stopping pushing, inadvertently making himself a bit more vulnerable to Wood's shove as he tried to clear him out. It looks to me like the deckchair folding could have been avoided though.

  • drg
    7:03 PM 25/02/2016

    I see two potential issues with the clear out, 1st is when Woods first goings in and his left arm wraps around Brits head and the big question "where did his hand go?" - hand to face = ban for gouge?.. playing devils advocate there...

    Second is the end of the clearout, Woods goes off his feet.. so his clear out was perhaps illegal at the end.

    However none of it really means he deserves a punch in the face, regardless of Brits fear for his leg. I understand why Brits did it, but cannot condone it.

  • 10stonenumber10
    11:27 AM 25/02/2016

    Agreed. Ludicrous force generated from such an awkward angle. Had Wood been wearing a gum shield, he wouldn't have been split, and play would probably have gone on as normal... he didn't seem to go out cold or collapse on top of Brits, call me a cynic, but if he played on, the focus would have been on the vicious deck-chairing rather than Brits' punch.

  • katman
    8:34 AM 25/02/2016

    Hey, a punch is a punch, and you take your medicine (although if you're a Kiwi, a punch is more like a hurty word and you get little more than a reprimand, one week if you're unlucky). But what really surprised me here is the power of the punch thrown from a very awkward position. To concuss that big fella while pinned underneath him is, dare I say, impressive.

  • ljnumber8
    2:26 AM 25/02/2016

    Why is there an image of Bruce Willis from Die Hard on the screengrab for this video?

  • canafrikaaner
    8:35 PM 24/02/2016

    Wood folded him intentionally! If I was as tough as brits id time a moment from the blinding pain to swing as well. 3 weeks psshhhfftt

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