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'I thought it was pretty bad': The final hit that floored Otere Black

Otere Black. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Departing Blues playmaker Otere Black was able to call time on his career with the Super Rugby franchise by guiding them to a Trans-Tasman title – but the 26-year-old was at risk of missing out on much of the final after copping a high shot to Maori All Blacks teammate Ash Dixon in the 24th minute of the match.

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Dixon rushed out of the line to put a hit on the Blues No 10 but got the tackle badly wrong, smashing his shoulder into Black’s head.

Referee Mike Fraser ultimately decided that a yellow card was due punishment for the hit, sending Dixon to the sin-bin while Black also left the field for a head injury assessment (HIA).

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Both players returned to the game after 10 minutes and Dixon was quick to downplay the incident after the match.

“That was silly from me,” he said. “Na, no way, [it wasn’t malicious]. Not some guy like that. He’s a top bloke and a good man. I was just trying to stop him and just got my timing a bit off.”

Dixon admitted he did fear the worse after the hit – but primarily because he was concerned for the safety of Black.

Not long after the result, Black revealed his own thoughts on the tackle on the latest episode of the What a Lad podcast, hosted by James Marshall.

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Marshall, a former teammate of Black’s at the Hurricanes, asked whether a red card would have been warranted for the shot.

“To be honest, I thought it was pretty bad,” Black responded. “Everyone’s got their own opinions and Ash would never ever try and do it to hurt me as well, he’s a nice guy.

“We’ve been joking around about it all day today because the Landers boys just got in today [for the Maori All Blacks camp]. There’s been a few jokes going around camp around Ash, ‘Don’t know how he’s playing this week after that’. Na it’s all good. I’ve pulled up all right and managed to get back out there.”

 

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Further punishment may have been considered for Dixon had Black not passed his HIA and returned to the game – eventually guiding the Blues home 23-15. Instead, however, the pair were able to combine to earn the Maori All Blacks a 2-0 series win over Samoa over the past two weekends.

Super Rugby adopted new HIA technology this year, ostensibly designed to produce better, quicker results. Black admitted that the tests he undertook to get back on the field were fairly rigorous, with both old and new methods utilised.

“The HIA’s are tough these days eh? They’re even hard without being concussed so I was actually quite surprised I passed it,” he said.

“They’ve got the new one where you put the glasses on, you’ve got to follow all these dots. I had to do that plus the old one – remember the names and all of those things. Once I passed that, I just had to get through the last one. It just takes ages but we got there in the end.”

Black will play for Bay of Plenty in this year’s NPC before heading to Japan to represent NTT Shining Arcs.

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RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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