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Wed 20 Feb 2013 | 03:06
Seven week suspension for dangerous tip-tackle in U20 Six Nations

28
Comments

A week ago the verdict in the Ross Moriarty spear tackle case was heard, resulting in a seven week ban for the England Under 20 player. Some of you had requested to see the incident, which took place against Ireland U20, so here it is.

England's Ross Moriarty was shown a straight red card in the U20 Six Nations match at Dubarry Park a few weeks back. Ireland won the game 16-15 thanks to a late try and conversion.

The visitors coped well despite the loss of Moriarty in the 23rd minute for his tackle on Ireland U20 skipper Luke McGrath. McGrath was dumped head first into the turf, but thankfully continued on.

Last week a Six Nations Disciplinary Committee deemed that the tackle was in the mid-range of severity, arriving at a sanction of eight weeks. They added two as a deterrent, but allowed for three weeks mitagation, arriving in the end at a seven-week suspension.

It is one of the worst looking tip-tackles, or spears, we've seen in recent times, but Moriarty showed remorse after the game, perhaps helping when it came to the disciplinary hearing.

"Really disappointed after tonight. Didn't intend to hurt their player, apologised after the game. Congratulations to Ireland on their wim" he tweeted after the game. 

Posted By: Grant Constable

28 Comments

  • browner
    2:23 PM 01/03/2013

    Yes, lets all agree with MtM ......... after all the Paralympics could do with a influx of
    x-rugby athletes !

    'thumbs down'


    a longer ban would complete his rugby education ................ he has the same idiotic fuse as calum clark IMO

  • browner
    2:20 PM 01/03/2013

    Genetic's my man, you struggle to coach them outta someone !

  • browner
    8:58 PM 24/02/2013

    Chogan - February 20, 2013 11:53 pm

    rated at the mid level........ The fact that Moriarty is still an underage player should count as a serious mitigating factor, ........

    Uh...No !, no mitigation, he's been playing Top flight Rugby for years he 's 18+st & 6'6 & deserves a 'unmitigated' ban.

  • browner
    8:52 PM 24/02/2013

    Anything's possible in South Taff land

  • drg
    1:19 PM 22/02/2013

    Sherlock Holmes will be greatly thrilled that Moriarty was shown a red!

  • stubby
    6:44 AM 22/02/2013

    damnit dude you broke my sarcasm meter

  • conorl
    7:41 PM 21/02/2013

    They are both terrible tackles, but for me not only is this tackle as bad as Davies on Ryan, it's worse!

    They are both off-the-ball tackles with definite intent, but Moriarty goes the extra step and drives McGrath into the ground, as opposed to Davies who "merely" flips Ryan and drops him.

    They are both red card offenses worthy of hefty punishments, but Moriarty's is definitely worse.

  • 3:31 PM 21/02/2013

    People moaning that he should get more than 7 weeks need to get a grip. He's a professional rugby player - being out of the game for 7 weeks is punishment enough and could, especially at this early stage in his career, prevent him from securing a new contract etc... The punishment fitted the crime. Stupid thing to do and he got sent off and banned.

    And for those who keep going on about he could have been seriously hurt etc. you're right they could have been but they rarely are. The worst injuries I've seen/heard have come from collapsed scrums and legal tackles, I've rarely seen anyone or heard of anyone injured from a spear. (Appreciate I've left myself open to people who will have inevitably experienced the other but I'm willing to take that). Injuries usually come from accidents and we can't help that if you play rugby.

  • xxxwookie
    2:48 PM 21/02/2013

    Moriarty is going to have no future in English rugby if he doesn't sort out his attitude and his temprament. 3 times I've seen him play and I've seen him get two reds and a yellow. The other red was playing against Leicester Academy last year when he ran up and punched someone in the spine. He needs a serious discipline check.

  • matt
    1:36 PM 21/02/2013

    If you can tell me that these two tackles are equally as bad, then you can start an argument for increasing moriarty's ban
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6xxo75RkCw

  • matt
    1:32 PM 21/02/2013

    I'm going to keep posting this link for as long as people ask 'how it could be worse'
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6xxo75RkCw

  • cheyney_5
    1:32 PM 21/02/2013

    You've hit the nail on the head IMO Scozzer, disgusting off the ball incident, having come round the side before the ball is out. Deserves far more than he got and, like most, agree that a Twitter apology shouldn't merit any sort of leniency.

  • matt
    1:30 PM 21/02/2013

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6xxo75RkCw

  • matt
    1:30 PM 21/02/2013

    This is how it could be worse
    At least the Moriarty was going after a man with the ball.

  • connachtman
    12:35 PM 21/02/2013

    Pretty savage spear, like most above I think a bit lenient, and as far as "he later apologised by Twitter" should have no impact on citing. Also the back chat to ref is getting to be like soccer, did anyone see Donnacha O'Call mouthing at the ref last week at Munster-Scarlets rabo match , he was pinged 10meters for it, proper order.

  • conorl
    3:55 AM 21/02/2013

    How the hell is this classed as just a "mid-range" offense?!?

    For the love of god, what more does he need to do to earn a top end ban? Stamp on the scrum-half's neck afterwards?!

    This is one of the worst spear tackles I've seen in a long long time, and was deserving of at least a 6 month ban.

  • chogan
    3:04 AM 21/02/2013

    Ye sounded weird. That's Nugent for you. Useless lead commentator. Irish rugby broadcast package needs a serious shake up.

  • heavyhooker
    1:54 AM 21/02/2013

    I am tired of the pat response from thug players in all sports with the "I didn't mean to hurt him." The question I ask, do you care if your actions hurt someone? This twat should be out for a year to send the message to the whole of rugby that this is not on.
    Where are the SH folks going to get involved and tell us that this is common on the pitches in the south.....just joking.

  • downwithdropgoals
    1:32 AM 21/02/2013

    That wasn't a tackle it was a wrestling move! Deserved a longer ban, if anything punishments at this level should be harsher.

  • 1:14 AM 21/02/2013

    Im sorry, I know this is a serious matter, but how come nobody has picked up that the guy's name is freaking MORIARTY? I had to pause the video, back it up to listen again, have a little chuckle and carry on.

    Also don't understand how can this tackle be deemed mid range severity. Even if the player wasn't seriously injured (which is really lucky, considering his "landing"), I can't really see how a tackle can be worse. For that to be worse he would have to have hit him with a baseball bat! That was reckless and it is difficult to believe he didn't realise that it was going to end badly when he started that fireman grab and dunk of a tackle. And for crying out loud, a guy risks ending another players career and possibly paralizing him and then they reduce his already ridiculous ban because he said he was sorry and sent out a tweet? Well, that just makes everytinh ok, then! No sort of consistency in citing comitees, as per usual

  • danstan
    12:25 AM 21/02/2013

    I don't understand how players are getting their bans reduced simply by apologising afterwards. Any player can be apologetic to the guy they've nearly seriously injured just to get their ban reduced. Fact is, Moriarty in this clip, could have ended the poor scrum halves career. Ban on his actions on the field, not what he did after. Andrew Hore was in the same boat.

  • chogan
    11:53 PM 20/02/2013

    My issue is that this was rated at the mid level. How could the actions of Moriarty have been worse in order for this to be classed at the high end?
    The only way I can see this being worse was if he had seriously injured McGrath. This was a matter in millimeters either way for Luke to have a career ending injury.
    The fact that Moriarty is still an underage player should count as a serious mitigating factor but his record should be marked with a high end conviction.

  • 11:40 PM 20/02/2013

    Sounded like he was a product of Rugby's first civil partnership.

  • reality
    11:13 PM 20/02/2013

    Actually, was anyone else confused at 1.40 when Ryle Nugent said, "Son of Paul and Richard Moriarty"?

  • reality
    10:58 PM 20/02/2013

    Yeah, I don't think apologising and writing a tweet to say it was an accident should be good enough to give a reduced ban (if that is what happened). I didn't like the way he started arguing with the referee either, especially after something so blatantly deserving a red card.

  • guy
    10:38 PM 20/02/2013

    One of the most shocking tackles I/clearouts I have seen recently. Although I believe everyone deserves a second chance, I am quite surprised he only got 7 weeks. Could quite easily have seriously hurt the guy.

  • matt
    9:40 PM 20/02/2013

    To say that this tackle deserves the same punishment as Davis does in this clip is utterly ridiculous;
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6xxo75RkCw

  • matt
    9:29 PM 20/02/2013

    Fully deserved the red card and a suspension, but what is the deal with adding two as a deterrent? Shouldn't the length of the bans be set as deterrents in the first place? Bizarre quirks in the punitive system like this is how we end up with things like the Hore incident attracting ludicrously short bans.
    I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like whoever is in charge of this area of rugby lives in a parallel universe.

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