Scott Higginbotham - Liverpool kiss on McCaw

[en_force_er]

Now I look forward to the anzacs dominating the northern hemisphere.
Both teams will be the better for a tough battle.

The Wobs will win most if not all of their NH tour games but they won't dominate. Sadly we've become the kind of team that wins tough games through grinding and attitude and not one that puts them to the sword through good attack.

 

[Scotty]

Guys, we need to settle down a bit here. Saying that it is "ok" for Richie to get hit in the head because he is a cheat (or because the ref doesn't see him cheating so a hit is an even up) is simply way out of line.

We do not condone thuggish behaviour. Simple as that.

One warning already given. Please refrain from continuing to go down that path.

C'mon Daz. Higginbotham was never going to hurt McCaw with that. It was the sort of niggle that used to happen in every match in the 'good ole days'. Time to toughen up!

 

[en_force_er]

C'mon Daz. Higginbotham was never going to hurt McCaw with that. It was the sort of niggle that used to happen in every match in the 'good ole days'. Time to toughen up!

I agree we should toughen up in the sense of not complaining as much. Higgers should still get 2-4.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Scotty the received wisdom is that this is not liked by the parents of younger players - much as with rucking, I assume.

 

[cyclopath]

C'mon Daz. Higginbotham was never going to hurt McCaw with that. It was the sort of niggle that used to happen in every match in the 'good ole days'. Time to toughen up!

Sure it did. Now everything is seen by multiple camera angles. It's dumb, not because he'll hurt McCaw, but because he risked a yellow or red card at the time, and will probably leave his team mates short on the upcoming tour. It isn't really tough to start a fracas with a casual knee to a player on the ground.
Anyway, just my thoughts.

 

[AlexH]

I have never walked onto a rugby field not expecting a bit of off-the-ball treatment and I'm a back. It is part of the game.

The price you pay for being a pest at the breakdown and around the park is a bit of extra special treatment, over and above the usual, off the ball.

Richie is the biggest pest in the game closely followed by Pocock. Fill your socks and bend the rules lads but don't be surprised when you cop a couple of cheap shots.

 

[AlexH]

Its only illlegal if you get caught.

That siad, the chances of that are pretty high when you're surrounded by cameras.

Silly stuff by Higginbotham but have to admire his enthusiasm.

 

[rugbyisfun]

So sad that we have reached a point where all and sundry are up in arms about a no. 7 getting an extra tap on the head. What's next??? No clearing out too hard???? Leave this stuff on the field. The judiciary should be reserved for the more malicious acts. Like a good old fashioned Christmas grip for example..

 

[kiap]

Higgers should still get 2-4.

This one got 2 weeks:

 

[daz]

C'mon Daz. Higginbotham was never going to hurt McCaw with that. It was the sort of niggle that used to happen in every match in the 'good ole days'. Time to toughen up!

True. Back in the "good ole days" my dad also never wore a seat belt either, until the laws said he had to and starting pinging him for it.

My point had nothing to do with whether someone got hurt or not. Clearly Ruchie was never going to end up at the emergency ward getting his face rewired. However, I do think it inappropriate for anyone on this forum to condone what Higgers did and explain it all away as a bit of niggle, as if that makes it ok.

Higger's conduct record will not say "guilty of niggle". It will say "guilty of kneeing to the head and headbutting".

I agree that your call to "toughen up" is a good one. If Higgers had fairly tackled Ruchie so hard his teeth rattled then that is tough. If Higgers had cleaned Ruchie out of the ruck so comprehensively it make Ruchie rethink his positioning next time around, that is tough.

Kneeing someone in the head while they are on the ground? Weak as piss and indefensible.

 

[en_force_er]

This one got 2 weeks:

Agreed that's much worse but Higgers has been cited for 2 offences, not 1.

One could argue Woodcock was under punished, I wouldn't feel hard done by if Higgers got 2-4. Maybe he would.

 

[kiap]

Agreed that's much worse but Higgers has been cited for 2 offences, not 1.

One could argue Woodcock was under punished, I wouldn't feel hard done by if Higgers got 2-4. Maybe he would.

That gif was Mealamu headbutting Moody.

Steve Hansen, who formed part of Mealamu's defence team during last night's two-hour hearing, said: 'We're defending a guy who's character has been questioned and it shouldn't be.​

​

'He's a one-off special person. He hasn't got a dirty bone in his body. He's not a dirty player, he never has been. This is a case we'll go to the death on.'​

​

Hansen revealed Mealamu's ban had affected morale in the All Blacks' camp.​

​

'The guys were gutted because he can't play and more importantly they were gutted for Kevvy because of the man he is,' he added.​

​

'Everyone knows it's not in his nature to do that and everyone knows if Kevvy says he didn't do it, he didn't do it.'​

 

[the coach]

I'm sorry but if this bloke wants to continue to fall on the wrong side and the ref doesn't yellow card him then players are going to get frustrated and take the law into their own hands. The only way rugby is going to improve is for rucking to come back. It lets players 'get' the players who are cheating ,legitimately. Richie would do it the times then would have about five broken fingers and no skin left on his back. On a side note Richie and it seems the All Blacks can't handle it when we touch him up and it does upset his game. We need more of it just a little bit cleaner and not so evident Higgers!!

Good to see someone with a bit of mongrel in them at last!
Seriously, what Higginbotham did was dumb as Australia already had the penalty and it could have been reversed and he could have been red carded, let alone yellow.
But have a close look at what McCaw was doing in that RUCK (and I stress RUCK). He was off his feet and deliberately breaking the laws of the game. It was very cynical and a blatent attempt to kill Australia's ball. The referee rightly penalised him, but he should have been yellow carded.

 

[cyclopath]

I think the penalty was actually on someone else, not McCaw in that instance. Someone correct me, if wrong.

 

[Top Bloke]

...
But have a close look at what McCaw was doing in that RUCK (and I stress RUCK). He was off his feet and deliberately breaking the laws of the game. It was very cynical and a blatent attempt to kill Australia's ball. The referee rightly penalised him, but he should have been yellow carded.

The Ref penalised Mealamu not McCaw. Have a look at the footage again. Mealamu for trying to couter ruck off his feet. McCaw was marginal but ok imho.

 

[nugget]

have watched the replay now a heap of times and, yes higgers was really really really dumb, but was the knee in the face made to look worse by mccaw grabbing higgers leg and lifting it up and over.

Anyway it was dumb, but this is funny:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...-on-richie-mccaw/story-e6frg7v6-1226500298171

Besides, the item thrust under McCaw's nose for his signature wasn't your standard piece of rugby memorabilia. It was instead a beer stubby holder, one on which was printed the line: "I'm not an alcoholic. I only drink when McCaw's offside."
The All Blacks captain looked at it suspiciously but then burst into a wide grin and happily scrawled his name on it. Expect to see it posted on eBay some time soon. And no, it wasn't me who boldly went where no Australian journo had been before.

 

[Jets]

I have no issue with the "knee". I think if that was all that happened he wouldn't be sighted. It was an attempt to stir up McCaw and could have done the job.

Higgers was an idiot for headbutting McCaw though and should get a few weeks. Headbutting has no place in the game and they need to start coming down hard on guys. I wouldn't have an issue if he missed the entire EOYT as guys have been getting away with this stuff with only missing 1 or 2 tests and they need to enforce harsher penalties.

One thing I was impressed with though was how McCaw handled it with the ref. He said nothing and just went about playing. He knew as soon as Higgers headbutted him that he won the exchange and nothing more needed to be said.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I think the penalty was actually on someone else, not McCaw in that instance. Someone correct me, if wrong.

Technically, i think you are correct.
But, as always, there's another view of it: McCaw, in my view was worthy of a penalty. I think Joubert thought so too but, and its a big but riddled with conspiracy theories, i think Joubert was cool enough to remember that he had just specifically cautioned McCaw, in his own right, so he toned it down to a general warning for the Blacks, otherwise Lord Richie would have had to sit down for 10.
That is how i saw it in real time - replays (and any number of other things) may prove me wrong.

 

[AlexH]

True. Back in the "good ole days" my dad also never wore a seat belt either, until the laws said he had to and starting pinging him for it.

My point had nothing to do with whether someone got hurt or not. Clearly Ruchie was never going to end up at the emergency ward getting his face rewired. However, I do think it inappropriate for anyone on this forum to condone what Higgers did and explain it all away as a bit of niggle, as if that makes it ok.

Higger's conduct record will not say "guilty of niggle". It will say "guilty of kneeing to the head and headbutting".

I agree that your call to "toughen up" is a good one. If Higgers had fairly tackled Ruchie so hard his teeth rattled then that is tough. If Higgers had cleaned Ruchie out of the ruck so comprehensively it make Ruchie rethink his positioning next time around, that is tough.

Kneeing someone in the head while they are on the ground? Weak as piss and indefensible.

You are right in saying that Higginbotham needs to front up and physically impose himself at the breakdown and hit harder in the tackle.

The only part of this incident worth a mentioning is the head butt when both Richie and Higgers were on the ground. That was not piss weak or indefensible. It's called mongrel. It is to be expected in a contact sport. It may not always be as obvious as a head butt but it happens all the time and it goes both ways.

The knee while Richie was on the ground does not even deserve a mention. It was so harmless, so insignificant, that SANZAR saw no reason to cite him over it.

Why are we making mountains out of molehills here?

 

[en_force_er]

The only part of this incident worth a mentioning is the head butt when both Richie and Higgers were on the ground. That was not piss weak or indefensible. It's called mongrel. It is to be expected in a contact sport. It may not always be as obvious as a head butt but it happens all the time and it goes both ways.

That is an interesting point. Not one I necessarily agree with but it is interesting.

Richie did have his guard up when he was head butted, it wasn't a 'king hit' or anything unlike some.