@Bones I reckon a guy could trip over his own shoelaces and you'd make a case for a red card.

But to be serious, he was bracing for impact, protecting yourself shouldn't have the same sanction as deliberately kicking someone or lining up an actual high shoulder charge. The line in the sand from 'misguided WR' is too close.

@Nepia well what the fuck were his shoelaces doing in the way? Sounds reckless to me.

Passing off throwing the shoulder into someone's face as "bracing for impact" is pretty neat though. Sam Whitelock probably should've gone with that defence eh.

@Bones said in Bulls v Highlanders:

Passing off throwing the shoulder into someone's face as "bracing for impact" is pretty neat though. Sam Whitelock probably should've gone with that defence eh.

Pretty sure we have covered this before...if you have an inevitable contact, natural instinct is to brace yourself, for the contact, and I agree with Nepia that in that situation, his shoulder is going to minimise impact to himself (aka self preservation)

Sure it will only result in a Red Card, but when instincts often kick in with barely a thought, changing the way you react is tough.

@taniwharugby that may be the case, but isn't so in this instance. Naholo wasn't going to cop any sort of impact of great magnitude. It's being disingenuous to try and pass that off as self preservation.

@Bones will agree to disagree, if I was running into a contact, while I'd try to avoid it (which is when you are as likely to hurt yourself more) if it was coming, I'd ready myself.

As I said, the RC was inevitable, I expect we will see differing punishment form the 2 cards in that game, also reckon there was some amateur theatrics from the Bulls player he impacted too.

@taniwharugby again, that was not at all an act of self preservation. That was a reckless throw of the shoulder.

@Bones oh, right, sorry, I was wrong all along, you have shown me the error of my ways oh great messiah

Given the debate here, I went and watched it.

Assuming I watched the right incident, I can't see how anyone can see that as anything other than a red card.

That was terrible, what a fucking idiotic muppet. I'd go mental if he did that in a black jersey.

Hope I saw the right video

@taniwharugby said in Bulls v Highlanders:

@Bones oh, right, sorry, I was wrong all along, you have shown me the error of my ways oh great messiah

What? Yeah Naholo definitely dodged a bullet there. If he hadn't have run straight at the guy and thrown his shoulder into his face he was in real trouble. He did well to avoid harming himself.

In other news the Canes could've probably beaten the Crusaders by 30 odd points.

@gt12 said in Bulls v Highlanders:

Given the debate here, I went and watched it.

Assuming I watched the right incident, I can't see how anyone can see that as anything other than a red card.

That was terrible, what a fucking idiotic muppet. I'd go mental if he did that in a black jersey.

Have to agree. He runs a line to make impact when he didn't need to. He looks to me to be instigating the impact not bracing himself. One of those little niggle after the ball things that happen all the time but now need to be really careful in case of high impact. Even if he didn't make head contact he would have ended up with a YC for off the ball play IMO.
If you are going to do those nowadays you need to make sure it is a clear body check only and hope the other guy doesn't do a hollywood. Certainly wouldn't try it against an Argie.

@taniwharugby said in Bulls v Highlanders:

also reckon there was some amateur theatrics from the Bulls player he impacted too.

I dunno - he went floppy like you would having copped a shoulder to the chin.

@nzzp the spin...given this was a nothing impact that wouldnt have bothered Naholo....

In case anyone missed it, I agreed it is always a red card with shoulder to head.

hahaha oh shit. That's about as blatant a red card as you will ever see! when i saw the term "bracing for impact" i thought it was one of those ones where someone chipped him, and he turned his shoulder in to an on-coming player.

You don't brace for impact while running through someone! that's a fucking red card every day of the week, and should be a couple of weeks as well. What a fucking muppet.

The second view is very damning - late and unnecessary.

What are you guys talking about? This is down to bad refereeing, poor interpretation and WR making up ridiculous rulings. In 1933 Naholo would've been awarded a try for that.

@Bones assume that is directed at others, I never said it was poor refereeing, poor interpretation or ridiculous ruling.

@taniwharugby nah not you. But people have seemed to intimate this was a ridiculous result of "lowering the threshold". Just like a guy getting sent off for stomping a head would be the result of WR trying to eradicate rucking...

@Bones said in Bulls v Highlanders:

@taniwharugby nah not you. But people have seemed to intimate this was a ridiculous result of "lowering the threshold".

I don't think ridiculous, but I think a year ago that could have been a yellow for reckless contact. Now it's a straight red. THat threshold has changed.

Same way with tip tackles. Pre '05, it was harden up, play on or penalty. Then it went to straight reds to sam warburton in a Cup Semi Final FFS.

@Bones said in Bulls v Highlanders:

In 1933 Naholo would've been awarded a try for that.

It was a bloody try in 1905, and Deans was robbed.

Wait, what are we talking about again?

@nzzp said in Bulls v Highlanders:

Wait, what are we talking about again?

That time the Beaver won the RWC with a belly full of whitebait!