Scotty Stevenson: A Note To Everyone Complaining About That Sam Cane Tackle
Only in a game like rugby union could you ever expect to hear someone saying tacklers have a ‘duty of care’ not to hurt their opponents, writes Scotty Stevenson.
For the uninitiated, rugby union is game played by fifteen large people, all of whom spend at least 70 percent of any given day getting larger and stronger by working out with professional trainers and eating their body weight in whey protein. Rugby is the game for all sizes, as long as that size is at least XL (or you’re a halfback. Halfbacks have special privileges in rugby union because they are most often tiny men with loud, annoying voices).
Once a week or so, these fifteen people run out onto a rectangular grass paddock and proceed to try to run around or over or through fifteen other people who in turn try to put their large bodies in the way so that the other guys can’t do so. The game has been played in this manner for a century and a half (give or take a few years) and in that time it would be safe to wager that not a single participant has finished a season without a bruise, a strain, a knock on the bonce or a broken bone or two. If you have, you’ve probably been doing it wrong.
Rugby is a fiercely competitive contact sport – the only professional oval ball code that allows the ball to be live once the player in possession hits the ground. At this point, a number of large people throw themselves at or near the ball with little regard for their health and safety or the health and safety of the person they are throwing themselves into. It is because of this that sometimes a player will emerge from the fray only to discover that they have lost an eye. Usually they play on. On other occasions a player may be pinned at the bottom of a ruck under a face load of nutsack (in the men’s game that is). In these situations it is best to play dead.
Rugby union likes to claim it is a game for gentlemen (and women) because it has a long history of players beating the crap out of each other for eighty minutes and then sharing a beer together afterwards. Quite frankly, a number of absolute creeps have also played rugby over the last 150 years. They share a beer afterwards only because running around for eighty minutes is thirsty work. Rugby union certainly does build character though. It teaches you how to keep running without the ability to re-inflate a collapsed lung.
In its rush to protect the sport’s image so that helicopter mums will still let their children play, the governing body has, over a number of decades, banned such things as all-in brawls, punching, kicking, biting, rucking, taking a player out while that player is airborne, and referees making crucial decisions in a game without the assistance of a less qualified referee sitting on a chair watching a television in a small room. Most of these things have had a positive effect on the game, and emergency room waiting times.
[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1475535264″]
As a result of these interventions, the game is safer than ever. At least, it’s as safe as a game can be when that game is played by fifteen (okay fourteen and a half) large people all of whom are trying to stop a team full of other large people by attempting to break them in half. You can’t mitigate for every bump and scrape in the game of rugby union. Occasionally someone will get hurt. Rob Henshaw got hurt on Saturday in Dublin and we all hope he will be okay.
What’s not okay is the subsequent overreaction to the incident that led to Henshaw’s early exit from the game. What’s not okay is claiming a player in full flight attempting to stop another player in full spin has a ‘duty of care’ to that player. A ‘duty of care’? Spare me. What is not okay is picking a still photograph from a game of many fast-moving parts in order to paint as a villain a man who was simply trying to do his job.
Sam Cane’s job is to put players on their backsides. His job is to make dominant tackles. A dominant tackle is one which immediately halts a player’s forward progress and puts that player in reverse. Dominant tackles tend to be made by players who stand tall. Sam Cane made more dominant tackles this season than any other player in New Zealand.
He’s also been on the receiving end of more than a couple. Just recently Cane returned from injury to play for his provincial side, Bay of Plenty, against Otago in New Zealand’s domestic championship. The first time he got the ball a young Otago midfielder by the name of Sio Tomkinson aimed up and flattened him with a classic blindsiding hit. A few minutes later he did it again. They were the kinds of tackles that Cane himself has become famous for. Did they hurt him? Damn right they did. Had he moved his head at the wrong moment they could have potentially hurt much worse. He didn’t, the game went on, and nothing more was mentioned.
On Saturday in Dublin the All Blacks (193) and Ireland (93) made 286 tackles in the test match. On top of this there were 216 rucks. That is a tick over 500 contact points in the game during which someone could snap, break or crack. If people wish to agonise over one tackle, then please by all means go back and watch every single contact in the game and come back to me with a full list of perceived indiscretions. I doubt you’ll have the time nor inclination.
In the meantime, you could always pick a more leisurely pursuit for your viewing pleasure, one in which very large and very strong athletes aren’t compelled to tackle each other with every force they can muster. The players know there is always a risk when they take the field – most of them talk in war metaphors for goodness’ sake – and we must acknowledge that too.
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
24 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
24 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
24 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
24 Go to comments