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'It's devastating for him' - Awful tackle sees Tahs recruit Perese sent off under new red card law variation

Izaia Perese (Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)

NSW Waratahs coach Rob Penney says he’s heartbroken for Izaia Perese after his comeback was derailed by a red card for a dangerous tackle that could see him out for half of the Super Rugby AU season.

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The former Queensland Reds back was sent off after 36 minutes of the opener against his old team when he flipped Hunter Paisami in an unnecessary follow-up to a tackle that had already forced the ball loose.

It left the Waratahs a man down for 20 minutes until Perese was able to be replaced under the new rules.

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However, the Reds scored all their points either side of that in a 41-7 rout at Suncorp Stadium.

After leaving the Reds, Perese’s short stint at the NRL’s Brisbane Broncos ended after he was charged with drug offences.

He had found a new home at the Waratahs, via a French rugby cameo, on a one-year deal.

But the code’s harsh treatment of dangerous tackles and Super Rugby AU’s eight-game regular season before a two-week finals system means he could watch most of that from the sidelines.

“It was a fair call no doubt, but I just feel so heartbroken for Izzy,” Penney said.

“He’s a talented young kid who’s come back to re-establish his reputation and that’s a tough start for him.

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“He’ll get a lot of support from us because we love him but it’s devastating for him, no doubt.

“He’s playing his old club, probably a bit of over-arousal, and we tried to keep the heat off him this week for that very reason – but he’s a competitive man and he overplayed his card.”

Suspected ankle injuries to new captain Jake Gordon, who was among the best on ground before being caught awkwardly in a tackle, and Joey Walton, compounded the misery for Penney in what was a Super Rugby record loss to the Reds.

“It’s hard to tell at the moment … (Gordon’s) on crutches but we’ll see,” Penney said of his captain.

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“It’d be a big loss, he’s just been made captain so there’d be implications but we have a great young leadership group doing a great job.

“The Reds opened us up and at 21-7 the red card occurred, not to concede another point for that 20-minute block was courageous … but we certainly weren’t good enough.”

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reginaldgarcia 1 hour ago
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JW 2 hours ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

MP are a NZ side through and through, NZ is even having to pay for it.

Yes they caved to public demand, I bet it accomplished a lot of internal goals. They could have left it to the other groups, but I’m of the belief that they weren’t showing the capability to make it work as being a good reason for NZR to jump in and do it. I think it’s actually funded 50/50 between NZR and WR though.

(when nothing was stopping a pi player playing for any side in Super Rugby)

Neither is that fact true. Only 3 non NZ players are allowed in each squad.


I see you also need to learn what the term poach means - take or acquire in an unfair or clandestine way. - Moana have more slots for non eligible players (and you have seen many return to an NZ franchise) so players are largely making their own choice without any outside coercion ala Julian Savea.

Not one of these Kiwis and Aussies would go live in the Islands to satisfy any criteria, and I’d say most of them have hardly ever set foot in the islands, outside of a holiday.

Another inaccurate statement. Take Mo’unga’s nephew Armstrong-Ravula, if he is not eligible via ancestry in a couple of generations time, he will be eligible because he plays his rugby there (even if he’s only their for rugby and not living there), that is a recent change made by World Rugby to better reflect examples like Fabian Holland and Fakatava.

It’s becoming the jump-ship/zero loyalty joke that international League is.

Look I understand you’re reason to cry and make an example at any opportunity, but you don’t really need to anymore, other recent changes made by WR are basically going to stop the Ireland situation, and time (perhaps no more than a decade) will fix the rest.

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