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Disciplinary hearing rubs salt into wounding Hame Faiva red card

(Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Italy hooker Hame Faiva has had salt rubbed into the wound of his Guinness Six Nations red card as he will now miss the remainder of the tournament and some Benetton club matches after receiving a four-game suspension.

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At a virtually held disciplinary hearing, the front-rower challenged the decision by Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli to send him off for his shoulder connecting with the head of Ireland’s Dan Sheehan

The red card resulted in the match going to uncontested scrums as Gianmarco Lucchesi, the starting Italy hooker, couldn’t come back on due to injury and it left Kieran Crowley’s team having to sacrifice another player as a penalty and it left them playing the guts of an hour with 13 players.

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Facing Goliath | A story following Italy as they take on the mighty All Blacks | A Rugby Originals Documentary

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Facing Goliath | A story following Italy as they take on the mighty All Blacks | A Rugby Originals Documentary

The post-disciplinary hearing Six Nations statement read: “Italy hooker Hame Faiva appeared before an independent judicial committee via video link having received a red card for an act of foul play contrary to law 9.13 (a player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously) in the Guinness Six Nations match Ireland vs Italy on February 27.

“The independent judicial committee consisting of Simon Thomas (chair, Wales), Frank Hadden (Scotland) and Lawrence Sephaka (South Africa) heard the case, considering all the available evidence and submissions from the player and his representatives.

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The player denied that he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card. Having reviewed all the evidence, the committee deemed that the player had acted recklessly by committing a high and dangerous tackle whereby his shoulder had made direct contact with the neck of an opponent with significant force. This had been correctly sanctioned on-field by the match referee following World Rugby’s head contact process.

“On that basis, the committee applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in contact with the head. This resulted in a starting point of a six-week suspension.

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“Having acknowledged no aggravating factors and mitigating factors including the player’s previously unblemished record, the committee reduced the six-week entry point by two weeks, resulting in a sanction of four weeks (to be served as the following given the player’s upcoming schedule):

  • URC:  Benetton vs Leinster  – Saturday, March 5
  • Guinness 6 Nations:  Italy vs Scotland – Saturday, March 12
  • Guinness 6 Nations:  Wales vs Italy  – Saturday, March 19
  • URC:  Munster vs Benetton – Friday, March 25

“The player may apply to take part in the coaching intervention programme to substitute the final match of his sanction for a coaching intervention aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues that contributed to the foul play. The player has the right of appeal within three working days of the issuing of the full written decision.”

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2 Comments
R
Robert 975 days ago

I watched this hit, and I thought it was a yellow. I have seen much worse remain at yellow. This was a soft red. The additional 4 games is plain silly. There are many other better reds to set an example with.

As for the law that reduced Italy to 13 men, I see why it was created, but there should be some level of discretion allowable to referees to apply context. This was not a case of a team overpowering another with their pack. It was a shame that a team like Italy (which is working hard to improve themselves on Six Nations stage) had this happen.

J
Joseph 977 days ago

The law that reduced Italy to 13 players is perverse. It is a distortion of justice and a blight on the game. The people who run the game in this dictatorial and archaic fashion should be voted out.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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TRENDING Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea
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