Cullen warns of collision course
Christian Cullen has warned that unless Super Rugby referees use ‘‘common sense’’ when ruling on mid-air collisions, games will continue to risk being marred by controversy.
Former All Blacks fullback Cullen, a master of launching off the ground to claim high kicks during his 58-test career, was aghast when referee Paul Williams yellow carded Highlanders centre Malakai Fekitoa in the dying minutes of his side’s controversial 30-27 loss to the Crusaders in Dunedin last Saturday night.
Fekitoa was sin binned in the 73rd minute because he had jumped into the air to compete for possession and banged against Crusaders fullback David Havili, who cracked his head on the Forsyth Barr Stadium ground and had to be replaced.
Despite having his eyes directed skywards during the aerial battle, Fekitoa was deemed to have not taken enough of care of Havili in the air and was removed from the game. The wellconditioned Crusaders, who trailed 27-16, ruthlessly exploited their opponents’ lack of numbers to secure a shock victory after Whetu Douglas and Seta Tamanivalu scored tries.
Cullen wouldn’t say that Fekitoa’s exit cost the Highlanders the result, but was adamant he should never have been sent off.
‘‘I thought that was crazy, and you could see Malakai was as shocked as all of us,’’ Cullen said. ‘‘You are competing for the ball in the air and it is fair game; and it just seems that the guy who can get the highest, he is the one who has the advantage.
‘‘In a game people are coming from all different angles, and all you are focused on is keeping your eyes on the ball and getting in the air. You need common sense, or I think this is going to ruin games.
‘‘You are going to see guys getting sin binned, like Fekitoa, and no-one will really understand why because he was going for the ball. You are taking the competition out of it.’’
While Cullen has little doubt that referees and other officials are only following instructions when punishing players who take others out in the air, he urged Sanzaar to cut them some slack and consider the circumstances.
‘‘Common sense is the way to go, absolutely,’’ Cullen emphasised. ‘‘You actually have to feel sorry for the refs, because this is the rule and been told ‘this is what it is, the guy goes to the air and it’s a yellow card’.
‘‘You have two guys competing, both are looking at the ball and play-on. Someone might get hurt, but it is a contact sport.’’
In the first round the Crusaders also benefited from another controversial call when Brumbies wing James Dargaville was yellow carded in the first half for colliding with Israel Dagg in the air. The Crusaders scored a try when the Brumbies were reduced to 14 men, and eventually won 17-13.
Afterwards Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham argued it shouldn’t have even been a penalty, let alone a yellow card.
Crusaders assistant backs coach Leon Macdonald believed the Dargaville yellow card was correct, stating the Crusaders players talk about making sure they don’t give away penalties by taking out people in the air.
Cullen, however, was concerned that this facet was being over-sanitised and had plenty of sympathy for Highlanders coach Tony Brown: ‘‘As Tony Brown said (in the case of the Malakai Fekitoa incident) it’s ‘play on’.
‘‘He [Brown] will be just be pulling his hair out. Obviously he has to watch what he says after a game, but he will be absolutely livid that that call was made.’’