36 - 31

Zebre's Fijian comes off worst on a busy European disciplinary hearing day

20 Nov 2019

Zebre's Apisai Tauyavuca has been suspended for five weeks (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

European disciplinary officials’ busy Wednesday resulted in suspensions for two players and the dismissal of a citing complaint against one other.

Three players – Edinburgh’s Nick Haining, Cardiff’s Harri Millard and Zebre’s Apisai Tauyavuca – were cited for allegedly striking opponents in last weekend’s opening round of the Challenge Cup.

Haining was cited for striking Agen out-half Thomas Vincent with his head in the 33rd minute of last Friday’s encounter at Stade Armandie on Friday.

He was suspended for two weeks after the disciplinary committee of Simon Thomas (Wales), Mitchell Read (England) and Donal Courtney (Ireland) deemed the incident an act of foul play that warranted a red card.

There were no aggravating factors and due to the player’s guilty plea and clear disciplinary record, the committee the initial four-week sanction by the maximum of 50 per cent before imposing a two-week suspension.

(Continue reading below…)

Millard was cited for allegedly striking Calvisano full-back Kayle Van Zyl with his foot in the 46th minute of Cardiff’s game in Italy last Saturday. However, Sam Hillas (England), Courtney (Ireland) and Yannick Jauzion (France) adjudicated that the alleged act of foul play was, in fact, accidental and the complaint was dismissed.

Not so fortunate was Zebre’s Tauyavuca who was asked to account for striking Bristol replacement Andy Uren with his leg in the 81st minute of their game in England last Saturday. The committee of Thomas (Wales), Read (England) and Courtney (Ireland) upheld the citing complaint as it warranted a red card.

After eight weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point, the committee found that the sanction could only be reduced by three weeks by way of mitigation as there were no aggravating factors and the player did not accept the citing complaint. Banned for five weeks, Tauyavuca won’t be free to play until December 23.

WATCH: Episode two of The Season with Hamilton Boys’ High School – training ramps up a gear as the team hits the gym after the recent victory against Auckland Grammar

Argentina v France | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Men's Match Highlights

New Zealand v Australia | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Women's Match Highlights

Tokyo Sungoliath vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Reds vs Force | Super Rugby W 2025 | Full Match Replay

Behind the Scenes with the Australian Rugby Sevens Team in Hong Kong | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 9

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

New Zealand in Hong Kong | Brady Rush | Sevens Wonders | Episode 4

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

Clermont's comeback gathers pace as fallen European heavyweights plot path to redemption

After the golden years of Rougerie, Parra, Fofana and Keyser, Clermont's fall was swift but there are signs the tide is turning

LONG READ

Four Australians racing into contention to face the Lions

Reds prop Alex Hodgman, ACT blindside Tom Hooper, NSW No.8 Langi Gleeson and Force No.10 Ben Donaldson are all pushing hard for selection.

LONG READ

How does a World Rugby consultant help emerging nations?

Often unseen but hugely influential, these wise rugby owls play a crucial part in growing the sport across the world.

Comments on RugbyPass

DS 20 minutes ago

Damian McKenzie signs long-term deal with NZR

Let’s blame a Chief instead ! 😀

Cane didn’t start in Yokohama but 5 Crusader forwards did and got their tails kicked by the John Mitchell coached England forwards. Well done Hansen!

19 Go to comments

DS 27 minutes ago

Damian McKenzie signs long-term deal with NZR

My bad. Let’s just carry on failing with the same tried and true. When DMac was 10 v France in Dunedin the ABs scored 7 tries; the same in Mendoza. Let's leave him on the bench till the game is already lost or better yet in the stands just in case he might run sideways. BB and SloMo can get the job done. No need to take a risk, especially now that Razor loves his Little Mo. SA will be delighted. No risk Kiwi - that’s the answer / the road to Cup success!

19 Go to comments

Blackmania 33 minutes ago

‘Current form doesn’t matter’: Commentator on potential All Blacks midfield

I don’t really share Johnson’s opinion. Nothing better than Tupaea and Lienert-Brown in NZ? It’s a good duo, and he wouldn’t look out of place, but I think we can do better. Tavatavanawai seems superior to Tupaea at 12. He’s a brute force, who makes few mistakes (which can still be criticized in Tupaea), formidable both with and without the ball in close contact. I can see him playing with Proctor. On paper, this combination would be very, very interesting, in the same philosophy as the iconic Nonu/C Smith duo.

Anyway, I remain convinced that in Razor’s mind, Jordie Barrett is indispensable at center, and he could quickly team up with Leicester Fainga’anuku. I’m betting on that in the near future.

However, a Tavatanawai/Proctor duo would be very interesting. Ennor also seems to be a good option instead of Proctor, who still hasn’t played this season. But Ennor has only played one match... he needs to be seen again and get some game time. There is a lot of talent in New Zealand in these two positions. The hardest part will be cutting players who could make a difference for many teams. The choices are going to be tough. If I had to make a bold bet, and unlike Johnson, I don’t see Tupaea being selected, and I imagine ALB could be in a tight spot against Proctor and Ennor if they are fit.

I imagine Jordie, Havili, Rieko, and Fainga'anuku with Tavatavanawai. Ennor or Proctor if Fainga'anuku is not selected in July. And ALB if Jordie is rested

4 Go to comments

JoeySanders 34 minutes ago

Waratahs turn to 'tough bugger' for captaincy with more history on the line

I will never forget the harsh lesson I learned about the perils of investment scams. What began as a promising chance to boost my income through cryptocurrency quickly spiraled into a nightmare. I fell victim to a sophisticated scam and lost $78,000 in bitcoins. The days that followed were consumed by regret, anger, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness,I couldn’t believe I had let my guard down and entrusted my hard-earned money to strangers. Then, while browsing online, a pop-up ad caught my attention. It was for Morphohack Cyber Service, a team specializing in recovering lost cryptocurrencies. Initially, I was skeptical, wondering if it was just another scam. Yet, something about their promise of swift recovery resonated with me, and I took a leap of faith by reaching out to them. Their response was immediate, and within 48 hours, they accomplished the unthinkable: they recovered every last bit of my lost bitcoins. I was utterly stunned, relieved, and deeply grateful. Their expertise and efficiency are unmatched, and I wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone who has fallen victim to cryptocurrency scams. They are the real deal,here’s their contact information:

Info@morphohackcyber . com

Morphohack@cyberservices . com

Morphohackcyber . com

0 Go to comments

JW 35 minutes ago

Louis Bielle-Biarrey named 2025 Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship

Yeah apparently is a bit of a larrikin who just turns up on a saturday, totally plays like it too.

3 Go to comments

JoeySanders 40 minutes ago

'I'm really disappointed': Former All Blacks disagree with Anzac Test outcome

Info@morphohackcyber . com

Morphohack@cyberservices . com

Morphohackcyber . com

6 Go to comments

IkeaBoy 1 hour ago

Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

It still reflects poorly on the RFU. Obviously the coaches would get it for bombing a home world cup. They were in a pool of death though and just never recovered from the Welsh loss. They seemed to have Burgess shoehorned into the squad by the RFU too.

I think both coaches got burned but they've used their time brilliantly and had the last laugh.

95 Go to comments

IkeaBoy 1 hour ago

Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

A 48 year old coach could be in his 12th season whereas a 50 year old may just be in his second. It's not a stable comparison.

Most of the (smart) premier league coaches are locked into contracts that renders them too expensive to be sacked, early doors.

95 Go to comments

IkeaBoy 1 hour ago

'He's a special player': Lawrence Dallaglio backs Henry Pollock to be Lions bolter

On the basis of his career stats across the last 5/6 seasons. For club and country. Both win ratios and individual performances have been better when he's played 7.

He was 8 against the unholy trinity last July and Nov. They lost against all 3. Very limited impact from behind the base of the scrum.

He's a dynamic and modern 7. Perhaps a 7 1/2 if it existed but not an 8.

Just my opinion on a rugby forum that encourages opinions. I'm not trying to steal your pension fund so you can relax.

13 Go to comments

IkeaBoy 1 hour ago

Duhan van der Merwe injury update leaves Andy Farrell with a dilemma

It's a tough break for him but it's not the end of the world.

Val Kilmer has died. That's real life. The first on screen batman to go. Sad times.

1 Go to comments

Mitch 1 hour ago

Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

My worry for Lancaste is he’d start off behind the 8 ball before coaching a single match due to the 2015 World Cup which is unfair as he no doubt has improved since then but that’s what people here, rugby folk or not, will associate him with and not the success at Leinster.

95 Go to comments

fl 1 hour ago

Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

Steve Hansen stepped down as ABs coach aged 60, Graham Henry did so at 65, Robbie Deans quit the Wallabies job at 54, and Wayne Smith left the ABs aged 60.

Most of them have had lesser jobs since then, but its only Graham Henry who could really be said to have coached at the top level “well into his 60s”. He’s a bit of an outlier, and that was 14 years ago. Its very possible that that will change, but I’m not seeing much evidence of that!

One factor that might be important is that NBA and the NFL are 1 league sports. Rugby league is pretty much a 2 league sport, and those 2 leagues are so far apart there can’t be much trading between them. Rugby union and especially association football have many more leagues, and so there are more opportunities for younger managers to break through.

Also, the fact that Rugby tends to have less chopping and changing of coaches is an argument against hiring older coaches. Hire a good coach in his 40s and he could stay in the job for 20 years, but realistically how long would Les Kiss be the best coach in Australia for?

95 Go to comments

LE 1 hour ago

'He's a special player': Lawrence Dallaglio backs Henry Pollock to be Lions bolter

I’d probably agree this is a tour too early but Lions do have a rich history of capping bolters and Pollock isnt as far behind as many say. I think you under-estimate his jackle work as he has a great turnover rate at club level and even at England A, he even got one against Wales

Fact is the nature of the game is changing and fast lighter backrows becoming more and more common as ball in play times go up and teams look to play wider. He is faces a challenge to make the initial squad but he is definately part of the conversation

13 Go to comments

fl 2 hours ago

'He's a special player': Lawrence Dallaglio backs Henry Pollock to be Lions bolter

on what basis is earl a better 7 than 8?

his best test level performances have all been at 8. He’s a great club level openside, but has only ever performed well there in international rugby when there has been a specialist openside elsewhere in the back row who is able to share the defensive workload.

you’re right that Pollock won’t go to the Lions, but he’s a much better 8 than he is a 7. That’s because - like Earl - his carrying game is immense but his defensive workrate is a step behind players like Curry, Curry, Underhill, and Pepper.

13 Go to comments

fl 2 hours ago

'He's a special player': Lawrence Dallaglio backs Henry Pollock to be Lions bolter

he’s never played 6

13 Go to comments

Spew_81 2 hours ago

Can Samoa and Tonga ever become contenders when their top talent is skimmed?

Agree. I was replying to JHW’s comment.

Most tier one nations, apart from the Pumas and the Springboks are guilty of poaching tier two talent.

It will keep happening until the eligibility rules are properly fixed.

9 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago