Sinny Bill’s red card could create chasm between north, south

Voice of Reason

OPINION: They will doubtless build a statue to Sonny Bill Williams in Mount Albert. That’s what happens to All Blacks who get the red card. That’s what happened to Colin Meads, the last New Zealander to be sent from the field in an international game of rugby. These men join the immortals.

Can it really be 50 years, half a century, since an All Black got a red card, not that they had red cards back in 1967? They hadn’t even put a man on the moon then. Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy were crooning somethin’ stupid.

Half of New Zealand, the SBW haters, will also now be chanting ‘somethin stupid’. But the Lions will just be thankful. This moment of madness has rescued their tour. It may even have preserved the future of Lions tours in New Zealand. Who would have thought that SBW would be the man who saved Lions rugby?

And it all came about so innocuously. Williams was annoyed. He had put a particularly feeble kick through and he wanted to atone for his mistake. That’s what All Blacks do. But sadly his reaction was utterly reckless.

As Anthony Watson ran the ball back, SBW led with his shoulder into the tackle. There were no arms and there was no concern for the opponent’s safety. He caught Watson flush on the jaw and the winger went down. It was the tackle of a man who still hasn’t got the violent stupidity of rugby league out of his system.

Mercifully rugby union has become more aware. The Lions players immediately appealed. Referee Jerome Garces received advice from the sideline and referred the matter upstairs. When Garces saw the images on the big screen he immediately contemplated the red card. He said, ‘‘There is a clear shoulder charge to the head. I think it’s a red.’’

It is an horrendous decision for a referee to have to take in a game of This moment of madness has rescued their tour. this magnitude and Garces was clearly looking for the backing of his TMO. But George Ayoub is an Aussie. He is used to State of Origin and head-hunting and all that sort of thing. He didn’t advise Garces, he hung him out to dry and told him to have another look.

So the Frenchman took another look. The images confirmed his original judgement. Garces said, ‘‘It’s direct contact to the head. I need to protect the player.’’

You just hope that World Rugby will now back their official. The mind went back to the 2011 World Cup when Sam Warburton, the Lions captain on this tour, was sent from the same field for a tip tackle. Alain Rolland made the correct decision then to give Warburton the red card. And Rolland, who was the best ref , was shamefully not given the World Cup final.

I imagine Warburton had a rueful smile at Saturday’s red card. He would not have wanted SBW to go. He is too decent a man for that. Warburton accepted his punishment with great dignity back in 2011.

The unfortunate aspect of the red card to SBW is that it has the potential to create something of a chasm in rugby. The northern hemisphere will point to the brutality that still sometimes exists in the All Blacks game. They will reflect on what happened in Dublin last year when a number of Irishman were hit high in an appallingly violent game.

The Lions will also point to a couple of moments in the first test, both from Jerome Kaino. At the opening lineout he played Peter O’Mahony in the air. It was dangerous and could have had the same awful outcome as the Lions captain suffered 12 years earlier. Kaino also later in the half dived at the legs of Conor Murray, with no intention of going at the ball.

For New Zealand the game is altogether different. Rugby is like an extra child for so many. It defines their sense of worth They will defend SBW. They will talk of whinging Poms and French saboteurs. They will say that rugby is not tiddlywinks.

You just hope that the fans of both teams can now keep their discipline rather better than SBW.