Australia’s Swain suspended for six weeks for Tupaea bad tackle

Australia lock Darcy Swain has been suspended for six weeks for a dangerous clean-out on Quinn Tupaea that left the New Zealand midfielder with a season-ending knee injury and the All Blacks fuming.

Swain, who clattered into the centre’s extended leg during the 39-37 loss to the All Blacks in Melbourne last week, was shown a yellow card by the referee on the pitch and cited after officials decided the clean-out met the red-card threshold.

The Judicial Committee Chair, Andre Oosthuizen, said they had decided the incident was “not intentional, however, it was highly reckless”.

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie later said Swain had attempted to get in touch with Tupaea after the match to apologise.

“It was clumsy, reckless but there’s no malice in that,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“Darcy’s not happy with the result (of what he did) and he’s been punished. Six weeks is a hefty punishment, I believe, and fitting.”

The incident triggered outrage in New Zealand, and Swain was criticised by All Blacks players and staff.

Rennie said he had been equally unhappy by a cleanout on Scott Sio by Fletcher Newell late in the game which resulted in the Wallabies prop sustaining a hamstring injury

— an incident for which the All Black went unpunished.

In a timely move on Wednesday, Swain was selected for an Australia A squad that will play three matches against a Japan XV next month.

That will account for half of his ban, leaving him free to play some part in Australia’s end-of-season tour of Europe.