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Tue 21 Jun 2016 | 04:52
Should Waisake Naholo have been yellow carded for taking out Liam Williams?

12
Comments

This incident caused a fair bit of discussion during New Zealand's 36-22 second Test win over Wales on Saturday, as winger Waisake Naholo collided with opposite number Liam Williams in the air. Welsh fans were incensed, adament that Naholo should have been yellow carded.

Both players went up for a crosskick and as Williams got there first, Naholo made contact with him in the air, causing the Welsh winger to land badly. In fact both players landed terribly, but the heated 'debate' began to see if Naholo was really going for the ball, or was actually reckless.

We ran a quick poll on twitter for a few hours to see what our followers though - hoping to get a few neutral votes too - and the results actually turned out pretty close, however the majority did feel that Naholo was lucky to get away with this one.

The thing that added fuel to the fire was the way that referee Jaco Peyper spoke to Kieran Read, appearing to almost check with the All Blacks captain if he was okay with the decision. We'll never know exactly why Peyper said that but what we do know if that it certainly didn't look good.

There was an incident roughly ten minutes later in the match that further angered the Welsh, as Naholo shoulder checked Williams after the impressive winger nudged a kick ahead.

Replays showed that there certainly was contact, but Williams also milked it a bit so that always makes it more difficult to judge. "He went down as if he was shot" said New Zealand commentator Grant Nisbett.

Some fans didn't see that as relevant though, with "What will it take to get this guy yellow carded?!" appearing to be the common sentiment on social media, as tensions ran high in a Test match that Wales had competed in for at least 60 minutes.

The poll is no longer active but now that the dust has settled a bit please feel free to weigh in on the discussion - let us know what you thought of both decisions, and if they were well handled or you think that Naholo should have been sinbinned for at least one or the other.

Naholo shoulder check on Williams:

Posted By: Grant Constable

12 Comments

  • dancarter
    4:56 PM 22/06/2016

    Their talent in the back 3 is just ridiculous. Ben Smith, Dagg, Barrett, McKenzie, Savea, Cory Jane, Naholo, Milner-Skudder. Pretty much all of those would start for England imo, not 100% sure about McKenzie but from what I have seen he has been impressive..

  • jeri
    3:22 PM 22/06/2016

    Viewed in isolation I don't think either should be a yellow card, a penalty will suffice.

    However the impression of recklessness I'm getting from Naholo would lead me to yellow card him for the first offence - to try and wean him off this bad behaviour

  • drg
    3:14 PM 22/06/2016

    Also totally agree on losers draw card, Ireland couldn't beat SA with 15 men, so they got one of their guys sent off to make it easier..... -_-

  • drg
    3:12 PM 22/06/2016

    Hey kiwiguy, little lesson for you, stick around and you'll realise we often comment on what we see with regards to the law! I personally don't feel Naholo jump clash requires anything at all, but in the eyes of the law (you heard the tmo) Naholo was reckless...so reality is, it's probably yellow card worthy....

  • danknapp
    8:59 AM 22/06/2016

    William's performance was indeed entertaining, if that sort of hamartia is your cup of tea, but he didn't make the role his own. Huget and Habana have both offered far more poignant depictions of loss and melancholy, which both provoked introspective and facilitated regrowth. Huget's anagnorisis on the floor, a moment of breath-taking beauty, revealed emotions in myself that I felt had felt lost forever.

  • spbob
    8:49 AM 22/06/2016

    Both should get a yellow... for acting, and the Oscar should be awarded to Williams

  • katman
    8:00 AM 22/06/2016

    Naholo had no hope of getting the ball in the first one, and he clearly knows this as he goes up to make contact. Yellow Card.

    And Naholo clearly rams Williams with the shoulder on the second. He doesn't just "change his line". Also Yellow Card.

    Sure, Williams dramatised the fall in the second, but this doesn't change the fact that Naholo illegally brought him down.

    Don't really want to be THAT guy, but if this were any other team, I suspect we'd have seen yellows on both.

  • drg
    6:51 AM 22/06/2016

    Tell that both eyes on the ball thing to Jared Payne when he was red carded for a similar incident on Alex Goode...

  • danknapp
    9:53 PM 21/06/2016

    Yes, both are penalty offences, but Williams should have immediately had them overturned for being an absolute cockhole.

  • danknapp
    9:52 PM 21/06/2016

    No penalty for either. Williams somehow got hurt before he even hit the ground in the first video. In the second he was milking that all day long.

    Here is an equally convincing performance, for those of you who like this sort of thing:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW3aCuxY1DY

  • drg
    7:57 PM 21/06/2016

    On the high ball...

    I'm not sure, I can see Williams being red carded and banned for one week for that reckless play...
    Then again Naholo could have been red carded and banned as well...
    Then again Williams looked like he was feigning injury on the way down as well, so I'd red card and ban him for that...

    On the shoulder check..
    Again, Williams threw his head back and fell to the ground in an "appeal" fashion, so I'd red card and ban him for that...
    Naholo shoulder check was a bit silly, penalty only....

    However all the above is purely speculation until I see the Dan Biggar cam... in fact, maybe just whatever Dan Biggar says....

  • dancarter
    7:52 PM 21/06/2016

    Taking Williams out in the air should have been a yellow. I think a penalty only for taking Williams out off the ball was just about right.

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