Wallabies player Scott Higginbotham has copped a two-week suspension for striking All Blacks captain Richie McCaw during Saturday's Bledisloe match.
The 26-year-old tonight pleaded guilty to two strikes against the Kiwi skipper during the 18-18 match at Suncorp Stadium.
Video footage showed Higginbotham headbutting McCaw, as well as striking him with his knee in the 26th minute of the game.
Here comes the unbelievable part though, as the judicial officer makes excuses for the Wallaby thug:
Sanzar duty judicial officer Jannie Lubbe said the incidents had been low entry level and that the knee was "more of a bump than a hit,'' while the "headbutt was reckless and not executed with much force.''
Significantly, Janne Lubbe was the judicial officer who cleared Quade Cooper of a similar kneeing offence on McCaw in the Brisbane test last year. In Meneer Lubbe's world, the use of the knee is clearly acceptable. And whilst he is right about the headbutt not being executed with much force (given that it went in an upwards direction), Lubbe has completely ignored the fact that Higginbotham was holding McCaw's head so that he could not escape the blow. It was clearly premeditated and delivered as they say in the classics with malice aforethought.
Following on from the limp suspension delivered to Dean Greyling for an unprovoked forearm to McCaw's head in Dunedin, this is an appalling decision. We stand by our opening statement; SANZAR's lily-livered judiciary is a disgrace.
3 comments:
You are very generous in your assesment of Mr Lubbe's decision.
I will watch games between any NZ team and the Queensland Reds next years to see if some utu is extracted.
Revenge being a dish best eaten cold etc.
Yes, a very weak decision - but I suspect just what most of us expected from this particular Sanzar official. He has "form", as they say. Possibly another of rugby's illuminati who consider McCaw a serial "cheat" because of his world pre-eminence in his position.
Even the Aussies can't claim their man was treated unfairly, however. Higginbotham pleaded guilty, his most courageous action of his shameful weekend.
How is it that Sanzar's judicial reviews are each conducted by a single person? That's not only unusual in major sports, but is a process that is wide open to the vagaries of improper outside influences.
Anyone who goes for the head needs to be dealt with severely. The odd punch is almost inevitable but a knee and headbutt can never be tolerated. He should be out for the entire tour to UK.
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