Time for angry players to smoke the peace pipe
Richard Knowler
It's time for ill-disciplined players to stop losing their rag and searching for targets in Super Rugby Pacific.
The foul play review committee has had to deliver its share of punishments in recent weeks, and in doing so, you hope someone in authority has had the fortitude to wave a sharp stick and tell them to end the madness.
The days of “bringing back the biff’’ have long passed their expiry date. Professional rugby is tough enough as it is – and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise – without the underhand tactics.
Last weekend Reds co-captain Tate McDermott was red-carded for using his forearm as a weapon against Moana Pasifika. He was given a three-week ban for crudely clouting Irie Papuni in the head.
Another Reds player, Fraser McReight, was also suspended for three weeks for a high tackle on William Havili.
Their indiscretions follow that of the two Fijian Drua players who were banned for lashing out against the Rebels the previous weekend.
It's hard to know what's going on. But someone needs to tell them to turn off the tap.
1 The Hurricanes rumble into Fiji
The unbeaten Hurricanes would be wise to do more than mop the sweat from their faces when they prepare to meet the Fijian Drua in Suva. They must also keep a lid on their emotions when they walk into a cauldron tonight.
The Drua have won all their games at home this year, beating the Crusaders, Waratahs and Force, but all were played in Lautoka. And all were staged in the afternoon.
The Hurricanes will be grateful that their fixture is at night, but the air will still be thick with humidity, and the crowd will be vocal. The log leaders will have to work for this one.
The Drua will be without influential halfback Frank Lomani. He’s serving a sixweek ban for using his elbow on the back of a Rebels player’s head. Replacement front rower Jone Koroiduadua has been sidelined for two weeks for a headbutt in the same fixture.
2 Searching for solutions against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium
No-one could accuse the Highlanders of not wanting to skewer opponents with attractive footy. They want to use the men in jet-shoes in the back three, but at times they can’t keep the fuse sizzling.
It's the Highlanders’ mistakes that result in them tripping over their own bayonets.
On the one hand you have to admire the Highlanders for their willingness to go side to side in a bid to open up teams, but just when you hope they will bust a team open they make errors. Although the Rebels are a courageous side, the Highlanders made them look good when they lost in Melbourne last weekend.
Better discipline and fewer errors against the Reds in Brisbane tonight would be handy.
3 The Blues won't be oblivious to talk about the Wahs
It seems everyone around New Zealand is clambering for a space on the Warriors' wagon that has Andrew Webster in the hot seat, cracking the whip, howling to the sky and shaking the reins.
The Blues, with much less fanfare, have been doing OK themselves, as their 6-1 record suggests.
The best way they can counter the Warriors mania is to keep on hissing, and roll the Brumbies at Eden Park in Auckland tomorrow evening.
Both teams have the same win-loss record and are on 27 points. The Blues are second on the log, behind the Hurricanes, on points differential.
4 Don't underestimate the potential for pain in Perth
Humbled in Sydney by the Waratahs, the Crusaders have to add anger, and precision, to their defence.
Yes, the defending champions made too many clangers when they were defeated by the New South Welshmen last weekend, but the way they leaked tries was alarming.
Under previous coach Scott Robertson this team gave the impression they would rather be trapped inside a pen full of wild hogs than allow opponents to scamper through their tackles.
Believe it or not, despite winning just one game this season, the Crusaders can still make the top eight and qualify for a quarterfinal.
Their chances of doing that, however, are slipping through their fingers like a rope caked with slime. They simply must deliver a victory against the Force in Perth tomorrow night. It’s not a statement that will blow anyone’s mind, but it’s proving easier said than done for the men from Christchurch.