Throw the book at him

The main talking point out of last night's test match in Brisbane was yet another act of thuggery against Richie McCaw. This time, the offender was Australian flanker Scott Higginbotham. And this time the IRB needs to throw the book at him, with some force.

Here's the incident; you can clearly see Higginbotham knee McCaw in the face at the 19sec mark. And at 1:19 on the replay, you can clearly see Higginbotham headbutt McCaw, whilst hoilding the New Zealand captain's head to stop him escaping.

This is thuggery of the worst kind from Higginbotham, and as Gregor Paul notes on the Herald website, it's simply the latest in a long list of attacks against McCaw; Paul opines:

Enough is enough, an example has made out of Scott Higginbotham. The Australian flanker's attack on Richie McCaw is not the worst crime that as been committed on the All Black skipper - although it was cheap and ugly - but it is the one that has tipped the balance.
McCaw shrugs off the endless physical abuse. He's had fingers in the eyes, knees to to the head, punches and stomps all over. He said the knee to his face from Higginbotham midway through the first half was annoying, nothing more.
It's typical of McCaw that he doesn't want to dwell on it, make a fuss or whinge. He sees the acts of lunacy as part of the package, an occupational hazard. But even his patience is being tested by the relentlessness of it.
Even he'd beginning to wonder why officials continue to let it happen with so little sanction. How on earth could Higginbotham's actions have been missed by the match officials? And now, with the incident left to be dealt with by a judiciary hearing, chances are Higginbotham will be slapped with a wet fish. Everyone else who has been in the dock for assaulting McCaw has pretty much got away with it.
Some, such as England's Dylan Hartley, have got away entirely - haven't even been cited.
Quade Cooper was cited but not punished and others such as Dean Greyling, who could have smashed McCaw's jaw in Dunedin, have had pathetic sentences handed down.
The IRB apparently sees McCaw as fair game. Officials don't seem to particularly care when he's the subject of foul play. Craig Joubert didn't seem at all interested in investigating why the two packs were going for each other after Higginbotham's attack. The IRB were not interested at all in investigating the eye-gouging incident in the World Cup final. Aurelien Rougerie clearly did something to the skipper - probably would have even admitted it if anyone had ever asked - but the governing body covered it all up tout suite.
Surely now something has to be done? Higginbotham has to be hammered - handed a punitive sentence that does two things. Firstly, it needs to put put a message that world rugby bosses have noticed what is going on: that is, that they realise that the best player in the game is being battered by hackers and lugs with barely half his ability.
Secondly, it would, possibly, serve as some kind of deterrent. Part of the reason players keep going for McCaw is they don't fear the ramifications. An eight-week suspension for Higginbotham would help him feel a little remorse.

We agree wholeheartedly with Gregor Paul, which is why we have reproduced his full piece without editing. In the last couple of years, oppositions have set out to stop Richie McCaw at any cost. We guess that McCaw can take that as a compliment!

So here's hoping that this time, the SANZAR judiciary takes a stand against Higginbotham. His 2012 rugby season should be over, and Australia should have to do without him for its end-of-season tour. Being forced to miss the first few Super Rugby matches next season would not be excessive.

But the chances are that he won't. Dean Greyling got a pathetic two week suspension for his cowardly attack on McCaw at Dunedin, but because of the scheduling of the Rugby Championship was available for selection again after missing just one match. It was such a pathetic suspension that it was barely worth worrying about.

Rugby is a robust, physical contest. But there is no place for cynical foul play, designed solely to injure. Scott Higginbotham must have the book thrown at him when he faces the judiciary tomorrow.