Reds coach roasts diving Tahs
Brisbane: Reds coach Brad Thorn says there is no place for theatrics in rugby union as he questioned the gamesmanship of the Waratahs.
While delighted with his side’s 3226 win over NSW in Friday night’s Super Rugby AU opener at Suncorp Stadium, Thorn was disappointed with the easy way Waratahs kickers fell to the ground when contact was made by Reds’ tacklers.
It led to Reds prop Taniela Tupou being sin-binned for a late tackle on Waratahs first five –eighth Will Harrison at a crucial time in the contest when the game was in the balance.
Thankfully for Thorn, Queensland steadied despite having one fewer man on the field, with star No.10 James O’Connor kicking two penalty goals in the final 10 minutes to seal the Reds’ first competitive win over the Waratahs since 2013.
But Thorn was unhappy with the sin-binning of Tupou, who had also been penalised earlier for a similarly late, but seemingly soft tackle, on a Waratahs kicker.
“Rugby’s a tough game. I’m not a huge fan of that sort of stuff,” Thorn said.
“I think players that go down for that and they’re seriously injured … HIA, that’s my opinion, because, clearly they were fine.
“On my side as well, I don’t want my players going down with a dramatic fall.
“Take what’s there, get up, get on with the game.”
Reds captain Liam Wright said Tupou’s sin-binning galvanised his side in their quest to regain the Bob Templeton Cup for the first time in seven years.
The Waratahs are back in action on Saturday against Western Force, while the Reds meet the Melbourne Rebels on Friday.