THOR POINT WITH BAN ON CARDS
INFLUENTIAL prop Taniela Tupou is facing a ban for a careless no-arms tackle which threatens to trim the strikepower of the Reds.
The citing from yesterday’s fighting 25-19 loss to the Stormers is terrible news because it threatens his spot for the April 7 rematch against the Brumbies in Canberra.
The Reds are expected to fight the charge after the citing commissioner deemed the incident had met the red card threshold for foul play.
The postscript to the gutsy fightback from 18-0 down in Cape Town put a dimmer on the Reds proving their neversay-die attitude does travel under coach Brad Thorn.
At the eight-minute mark, “Tongan Thor” Tupou buried his right shoulder and a lefthand shove into winger Craig Barry, without the ball.
South African referee Marius van der Westhuizen wanted to review the contact but, over the ref’s mic, said play had moved on too far to back-pedal.
Tupou played a big role in mangling the Brumbies scrum in an 18-10 upset this month yet struck problems by giving away three scrum penalties to the Stormers. Thorn replaced him at the 52-minute mark.