O'Sullivan confused after Nonu escapes rap
Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan today admitted he has been left confused by the failure to punish All Blacks centre Ma’a Nonu for his spear tackle on Gordon D’Arcy.
Nonu appeared before an International Rugby Board disciplinary hearing on Tuesday night after being cited for the challenge in the second half of New Zealand’s 45-7 triumph at Lansdowne Road last Saturday.
But Judge Wyn Williams concluded the tackle, which saw Nonu lift D’Arcy from the floor and drop him head-first onto the ground, warranted nothing more than the penalty and caution referee Jonathan Kaplan issued at the time.
Williams also made the distinction that Nonu had not driven the Ireland centre into the turf.
The IRB recently announced a crackdown on dangerous challenges following a spate of spear tackling with the double effort by Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu on British and Irish Lions skipper Brian O’Driscoll the highest profile example.
But O’Sullivan, who is preparing his side for tomorrow’s clash with Australia, believes the decision not to punish Nonu has left players and coaches puzzled over what constitutes spear tackling and how it should be dealt with.
“Like most people I’m confused. At the moment it seems the penalty for killing the ball at a ruck, which is a yellow card, is harsher than for turning a player upside down and dropping him on his head,” he said.
“There is a discrepancy in terms of the severity of the punishment for two different events, one which is harmless in its own way and another which is quite dangerous.
“If you look at it in that context it’s hard to know what to tell the players. Both myself and Graham Henry said after the match it was not something we want to see but you wonder what players will take out of it now that nothing has happened.
“I’m not being smart but there is confusion between what we were told at the start of the season and what’s transpired. I’d rather not say what the punishment should have been because I don’t want to be judgmental.
“All I can say is that we’re sending out a mixed message. I thought we understood you should not turn someone upside down on the rugby pitch. Now because of the Nonu case I think most people are confused.”
Nonu’s challenge on D’Arcy was the main talking point from last weekend’s round of Autumn internationals, but not far behind it was Australia’s pitiful scrummaging in the 26-16 defeat by England.
The Wallaby scrum was annihilated at Twickenham and subsequently labelled a “disgrace” by former All Black skipper Sean Fitzpatrick, leaving coach Eddie Jones with little option but to field two new props tomorrow.
David Fitter makes his debut in place of tighthead Al Baxter while Greg Holmes replaces injured loose-head Matt Dunning, who wins his first Test start, in a new-look rookie front row.
Ireland props Marcus Horan and John Hayes have 86 caps between them and will be rubbing their hands with joy at the prospect of attacking the callow Wallaby duo, but O’Sullivan insists the scrum will be no more significant than usual.
“Australia have gone in at the deep end with these guys. They’re not high in experience but Eddie must feel they’re up to it if he’s put them in the Test team. I don’t think Australia will be weakened by them,” he said.
“They will bring a lot of enthusiasm and we don’t know a lot about them. In terms of carrying the football they are meant to be strong around the pitch. The scrum will be interesting.
“It’s an area we’ll test but our whole gameplan is not about dominating at the scrum. You have to have more strings to your bow than that. But if you do get an ascendancy there you’d be foolish not to take it.
“Marcus and John are professionals and won’t start pulling cartwheels because they’re playing against new players. Their mission is to execute the scrum well. Maybe these two young guys will play out of their skin and shut everybody up.”
