Italy pair handed bans for horror tackle on Vermeulen

Rugby pass seem to have a different scale for each player based on the authors expectations or how much he likes them.

Can't fathom how Moodie and Reece both were a 3.

Too many true rugby fans (and analysts) don't understand that.

I wouldn't imagine there is a date aye. It was a long decline rugby in SA and Australia was going through, and was so bad it even effected NZ, caused them to argue to can a couple of teams. The nation of SA probably grew into it? I know I watch more of the NH now specifically because of the SR teams playing there. I actually had to mention to Nick Bishop (because of his stubborn perspective) the other day that I've never been a fan of Super Rugby, I don't think they chose the right way to go about professionalism back in 1995. Unfortunately, NZR was stuck between a rock and a hard place, because it had SA's and Australians that ran their unions by States, so we had to separate into "two or three" teams as a result. Our game is in the kak now because of it, they want to kill off the lifeblood of our National Provincial Championship. But now we might see a way out of it, so it's all good.

Rassie must have read my comments comparing Ethan to PSdT using it to put the 'niggles' into New Zealand! Does this accompli mean we can compare Frost to PSdT as well? :D

I think the game is actually in a really good place atm, it has a really good balance between attack and defense. Changing to that ruling would heavily swing it into the defenders favour, so you need to come up with another law change favouring attack to keep an equal balance.

Another game gifted to you with your opposition forced to play with 14 men for the last 10 minutes of the game.

Perhaps next year!

He was shifting to make the tackle as he should, and obviously pulled out as he should when he had to decide his man, Kolbe, wasn't going to receive the ball.

The fact that the ball had been kicked downfield during that sequence is not something he's going to know or should be expected to know. The laws should really be changed for the onus to be on Kolbe to run into the hole, not the player (even if for player safety alone, with his injury, they should be made to avoid contact).

It's not something we should have to say that were thankful for, it should be the case with every ref, but obviously it's not.

Did I hear right and Darry was an unused sub as well? Strange ploy and one I think I can definitely remember being in Fosters playbook when his teams were struggling a lot.