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Connacht duo learn their fate after first-half red cards against Munster

By Online Editors
(Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Red-carded Connacht pair Shane Delahunt and Abraham Papali’i have each been banned for a period of three weeks after they were sent off in the recent Guinness PRO14 loss to Munster at Aviva Stadium. 

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Connacht were forced to play the whole of the second half last month with 13 players after Delahunt was punished by referee Frank Murphy for his reckless/dangerous collision with CJ Stander while Papali’i was dismissed for his dangerous tackle on Conor Murray.  

The outcome of the Delahunt hearing read: “The player accepted that his actions warranted a red card for foul play. The incident was deemed a mid-range offence, which carries a six-week suspension.

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RugbyPass brings you Game Day, the behind the scenes documentary on the 2018 Guinness PRO14 final at Aviva Stadium featuring Leinster and Scarlets

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RugbyPass brings you Game Day, the behind the scenes documentary on the 2018 Guinness PRO14 final at Aviva Stadium featuring Leinster and Scarlets

“In light of the player’s previous clean disciplinary record, early acceptance of the red card, cooperation with procedure and remorse shown, he was granted the maximum (50 per cent) mitigation from the entry point sanction, bringing his ban to three weeks. As the 2020/21 season fixtures are not yet finalised, the ban will span over the course of three meaningful games.”

Papali’i, meanwhile, was left to remember his Connacht PRO14 debut for all the wrong reasons as the signing from Bay of Plenty was carded 25 minutes into the Irish interprovincial match. His hearing judgment read: “The player accepted that his actions warranted a red card for foul play. The incident was deemed a mid-range offence, which carries a six-week suspension. 

“The player’s previous clean disciplinary record and cooperation with procedure warranted application of maximum (50 per cent) mitigation, bringing his ban to three weeks. The player was reminded to be mindful of high tackles going forward.”

Andrew Conway scored a brace of tries as Munster took advantage of the two first-half red cards to help Munster win 49-12 and qualify for a semi-final which they lost five days later back at the Aviva against champions Leinster.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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