All Blacks captain Kieran Read in the gun for neck tackle against Springboks
A South African rugby critic is turning the heat on All Blacks captain Kieran Read, accusing him of a “clear professional foul around the neck”.
But it’s brought a divided reaction from Springbok fans, some of whom say it paints them as bad losers. One points out that the Springboks got away with high tackles on Ardie Savea.
Journalist Brenden Nel, who has a strong Twitter following, has questioned why World Rugby didn’t cite Read from the lineout incident in the opening game at Yokohama.
https://twitter.com/BrendenNel/status/1175777871450779648
In the 45th minute, Springbok flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit attempts to tackle halfback Aaron Smith after the All Blacks win a lineout.
But Read impedes du Toit with a coat hanger type tackle around the neck area, with the big Springboks flanker ending up on the deck.
“Wonder what the All Blacks say about this?,” tweets Nel.
“Probably just bury their heads in the sand. It’s their All Blacks after all.”
But a Springbok supporter reckoned there were neck high tackles on All Black Ardie Savea that went unpunished in the match controlled by Frenchman Jerome Garces.
“Doing this just makes us look like bad losers. Stop playing the victim,” the supporter tells Nel, a former Supersport rugby editor.
Another fan attacked Nel for an “All Black hating narrative”, but Nel also had supporters.
https://twitter.com/ChampStrategy/status/1175848660573274113
There were 2 neck high tackles on Savea yesterday with one going on for a few seconds. Would you like to show that too? I wish we would stop complaining abt referees. He was poor both ways. Doing this just make us look like bad losers. Stop playing the victim
— Reegs (@RJStephens77) September 22, 2019
Obviously it’s PSDT’s fault for not being tall enough and running with and invisible ball. pic.twitter.com/EOCMbwvRl1
— Neil Riley (@RipperNR) September 22, 2019
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
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