Cooper gets 2wks

[El Barto]

The Wallabies have suffered a massive Tri Nations blow with red-hot playmaker Quade Cooper banned for two Tests for a dangerous tackle the 30-13 victory over South Africa.

Cooper will miss the upcoming clash against the All Blacks in Melbourne as well as the August 7 Bledisloe Cup Test in Christchurch.

A judicial hearing in Brisbane on Sunday morning found the 22-year-old five-eighth guilty of a spearing tackle on opposite number Morne Steyn midway through the second half at Suncorp Stadium.

Cooper was sin-binned for the offence but his punishment was significantly enhanced after being cited by the match commissioner after the game.

Born in the Waikato region of New Zealand, Cooper will now be prevented from making his first appearance against the All Blacks until the last match of the Tri Nations in Sydney in September.

Cooper will be available for the two Test tour of South Africa in August.

 

[the gambler]

Deans must feel a little like David Gallop this morning.

Cooper has serious off field trouble, puts it behind him and performs extremely well during the S14, steps up and is one of our best in the June tests, has his off field trouble cleared up, plays in a much improved team performance then with 15mins (?) goes and does something so stupid and unnecessary.

Who would have thought Cooper would get suspended for making a fairly dominant tackle. A trip? yes, a lazy head high? yes but not a one on one lifting tackle.

 

[DPK]

Any news about whether Fourie got suspended? I think he should get the same punishment, they were as bad as each other.

 

[Brumby Jack]

The same guy has to hear both citings so I'm guessing we'll hear something around 1 and with probably the same result.

 

[WB3]

Any news about whether Fourie got suspended? I think he should get the same punishment, they were as bad as each other.

Neither was bad. I can see why refs are under instruction to crack down on dangerous tackles, but both were pretty inconsequential, so the suspensions surprise me. I think Cooper's probably looked worse than it was - he was watching the player's midsection and not the ball, so that he made a late hit is unsurprising. He didn't really drive him into the ground either and I thought a yellow was sufficient. Fourie's was soft as anything - no intention of a spear whatsoever, just a dumb, late pickup that deserved a penalty, perhaps a yellow but no further.

I wonder whether they will put Barnes to flyhalf and keep Giteau at inside or shift Gits to 10 and slot in Fainga'a. Is Digby really out for the season (as said in the Brisbane thread)? Otherwise they could move JOC (James O'Connor) to fullback, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to inside and put Digby back on a wing.

 

[RugbyReg]

Diggers is gone.

I expect a 10 Barnes, 12 Gits move.

Opens up a spot on the bench. Don't think Hynes will be back. Cameron Shepherd I guess.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I would definitely go with Barnes at 10, Giteau at 12. With Gits starting to play some better footy at IC, I would be very loathe to upset that by shifting him in one and thus have him crabbing across the paddock.

 

[Reddy!]

9. Genia 10. Barnes 11. Mitchell 12. Giteau 13. Horne. 14. O'Connor 15. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

20. Burgess 21. Beale 22. Shepherd

Gaps can be filled, but it is still a big kick in the guts not to have Cooper in the team. He creates so many opportunities for this team.

 

[DPK]

9. Genia 10. Barnes 11. Mitchell 12. Giteau 13. Horne. 14. O'Connor 15. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

20. Burgess 21. Beale 22. Shepherd

Gaps can be filled, but it is still a big kick in the guts not to have Cooper in the team. He creates so many opportunities for this team.

Yeah, his individual stepping/one hand passing game will be missed, but then again Barnes in form is more of a traditional set piece flyhalf (see AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) tries last year vs Boks). I think if he gives 100%, the backline can be effective as, and the loss of Cooper wont be as big an issue.

 

[Richo]

While I think both tackles were pretty soft and sufficiently penalised by the yellows, it is good to see that IRB is serious about safety. I don't know if anyone else follows American football, but the NFL pretended for years that concussions weren't a major problem and is now paying the price. It's not a precise analogy of course, but the point is that it's best for everyone -- players, fans, the game -- if safety is a top priority. It's not tiddly-winks and never should be, but there's no place for spear tackles either.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I suspect any chance of the Bledisloe coming home has now gone with Diggers and QWADE out?

 

[RugbyReg]

Jaque suspended for 4 weeks.

Jaque Fourie suspended for four weeks



Springboks centre Jaque Fourie has been suspended for four weeks – covering three matches – after being cited for a dangerous tackle during the Tri Nations Test between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane last night.



His ban, to end on August 22, will include two Currie Cup matches for which Fourie would have been considered for selection plus the Tri Nations Test against New Zealand on August 21.



Fourie was initially cited over an incident in the 2nd minute of the match won 30-13 by the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium.



He subsequently appeared in Brisbane today with SANZAR Judicial Officer Bruce Squire QC (Quade Cooper), of New Zealand, presiding over the matter.



Mr Squire found Fourie guilty of a breach of Law 10.4 (j) and considered the offence at the lower end of severity.



Entry point for a low grade lifting tackle offence is three matches.



Fourie was suspended last year for a similar offence.

 

[Richo]

Two Currie Cup games = one Tri-Nations test.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Justice 4 4 week Fourie.....

 

[the gambler]

RaiseS an interesting and in my view very difficult question as to what penalties should be based on. I personally think it should be on games in the competition the offending act occured or higher but realise it is a very difficult thing to put into practice.

 

[Lee Grant]

Agree with that Richo. We should want rugby players to be afraid of putting a lifting element into their tackles. Therefore I agree with the suspension of Quade and trust that Fourie will get condign punishment also.

If you are referring to defensive players in the NFL lining up the ball runner and applying their hard helmets to the centre of gravity of the runner in the tackle, yeah, there have been a lot of injuries to tacklers in the past and not a few ball runners. It's a case where the safety purpose of helmets was perverted.

Oops - have just seen Fourie decision.

 

[barbarian]

Thought the bans were a little harsh considering they were both carded on the night. De Villiers got two weeks, but I thought that was partly because he got away with it in the game itself.

I reckon one game each would have been sufficient.

 

[naza]

You have got to be fucking kidding me !!! The replays showed Fourie's tackle was the biggest non-event in history. How the fuck was Fourie's tackle even a penalty, let alone a fucking yellow is farking beyond me. And Cooper's was nothing much either - What a load of horseshit.

Richie McCaw gets away with turning the game of rugby into a deadset farce with his constant cheating, and this is what they crack down on ?

This sport is becoming a fucking joke.

 

[Richo]

Lee, that's a good point about helmet hits but not exactly what I was referring to re the NFL.

The NFL worked hard to keep quiet all the research that emerged over the last few decades about the long-term repercussions of playing after a concussion. Players were expected to "tough it out" rather than rest for a few weeks after a concussion. Innovations that could have saved careers and post-career lives like mandating minimum games out after concussions, fining teams and players for pushing through them, helmet technology improvements, etc. were not pursued.

I realise it's quite a different problem to spear tackles, but I think the "safety first" ethos of the IRB is good to see in comparison to bodies like the NFL.

 

[Brumby Jack]

SANZAR appear to be trying to stamp out on lifting tackles as the minimum ban is 3 weeks.