FOLAU’S BAD HAIR DAY
Debate erupts over Folau grab on Springbok with extra-long locks
DID Izzy pull the pony or claw at the collar? Or was it a bit of both?
That was the bizarre issue that dominated discussion after the Wallabies’ 27-all draw with the Springboks in Bloemfontein.
Folau moved closer to breaking the world record for most Test tries in a year with another five-pointer but that was almost forgotten after a controversial incident later in the first half featuring the Wallabies No.15.
Folau was penalised for tackling Boks winger Dillyn Leyds by the hair, which sparked a big melee between the teams.
Footage showed Folau started by grabbing Leyds’ collar and as they go to ground, re-gripping on his hair.
While the hair pull could reasonably be argued to be unintentional, Folau was still lucky to not be sin-binned. World Rugby’s foul play regulations can see players suspended between 2-6 weeks for “hair pulling/grabbing”.
In what folded into a larger swipe at the match officials, however, Michael Cheika defended Folau by claiming he’d never grabbed the hair — only collar — and that Boks skipper Eben Etzebeth had escaped sanction for running in with a cocked elbow.
“He grabbed the guy around the collar, I understand,” Cheika said. “He didn’t whack him with his forearm or anything like that.
“That’s a penalty, I’m down with that. That’s fine. Then the other guy comes charging in, he’s captain of the other team, elbow’s up, he doesn’t get him but if he does what happens then? I don’t get it.”
When pressed about the hair pulling, Cheika snapped: “He grabbed him by the collar, you’ve got to watch the vision. Watch the vision, he got him by the collar. He didn’t come in and grab him by the hair. Have you ever tackled anyone by the hair? Exactly. Who tackles someone by the hair? Forget about it. It’s a non-issue.”
Leyds later fronted media and was asked: was it the collar or the hair?
“One hundred per cent he pulled me by the hair,” Leyds said. “He actually pulled me by the hair twice.”
Boks coach Alistair Coetzee refused to comment, saying he would leave it up to SANZAAR to review.
Folau scored his 11th try of the year after a lovely set-piece move in the opening quarter. That saw him break the previous Australian record for most tries in a year (10) that he held with Lote Tuqiri.
The world record for most tries in a calendar year is 17, shared by Japan’s Daisuke Ohata (2002) and Kiwi Joe Rokocko (2003).
The Wallabies have six more Tests to play this year.
Meanwhile, fellow Wallaby Kur Beale says drawn Test matches feel “dull” and like “dead rubbers” and authorities should consider extra-time or an NRL-style golden point period to satisfy players and fans.
“It’s just a dull feeling, isn’t it?” Beale said post-match.
“There’s no proper result, I feel like it’s just a bit of a dead rubber kind of thing.”
WATCH THE VISION, HE GOT HIM BY THE COLLAR. HE DIDN’T COME IN AND GRAB HIM BY THE HAIR
WALLABIES COACH MICHAEL CHEIKA