'Dodgy' Brodie Retallick clean out on Michael Hooper under scrutiny
Wallabies captain Michael Hooper is no stranger to off-the-ball treatment, having been the target of many All Black sides at the breakdown over his career.
Last night was no different, as he became the target of All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick early in the game at Eden Park while trying to escape a ruck.
After making a tackle on George Bower in the 25th minute, Hooper got to his feet and swung his torso around to compete for the ball before being knocked off his feet by the first cleaner Ardie Savea in the first challenge.
Retreating back out of the breakdown to avoid interfering with play with his arms in the air, the defenceless Hooper was clobbered by Retallick in a pile-driving shoulder to the back, sending his head into whiplash.
A pretty dodgy clean out here by Retallick on Hooper, from the side, lead with shoulder. Just silly and dangerous. Hooper was blowing up rightfully so#BledisloeCup #NZLvAUS@GAGR @RugbyReg @RugbyOnNine pic.twitter.com/mCfz8BEk7O
— rob (@rob47138671) August 7, 2021
Referee Paul Wiliams didn’t take exception to the clean out, letting play go on despite protests from the Australian captain.
The incident divided fans watching, while Australian fans said it wasn’t technically illegal they claimed it was unnecessary and dangerous that could have resulted in harm to their captain.
One fan wrote ‘players shouldn’t be targeted with cheap shots if they’re doing the right thing’ while another wrote ‘Hooper has to expect that’s going to happen’ for ‘loitering’ on the wrong side of the ruck.
Well he’s loitering a bit… it’s borderline, but I’ve got no real problem there… I wish a few Wallabies cleaned out loiterers like that… we all complained about the French hanging around the backs of our rucks…
— Kev Hearn (@Kev_Hearn) August 7, 2021
Yeah to say this sort of action should be condoned is ridiculous.
Hooper had a crack at ball, missed it and was told by ref and made clear release. No impact on play.
Players shouldn’t be targeted with cheap shots if they’re doing the right thing in line with refs direction
— rob (@rob47138671) August 7, 2021
You don't think clearing someone out unnecessarily from the side, when the ball is completely free to play, is illegal? Hooper had his hands in the air and was on his knees
It's 2021. It's entirely illegal.
— Roger Grace (@autodidactical) August 7, 2021
Hopefully Rennie does an hour long video
— Michael Atkinson (@kinson88) August 7, 2021
Nothing wrong with it…. if anything he’s come slightly from side. Perfect tackle technique, led with the shoulder, arms wrapped, going in at the body. Hooper has to expect that’s going to happen if you just sitting in the ruck on the AB’s side ?????
— Isaiah Smiler (@isaiahsmiles) August 7, 2021
While Brodie Retallick avoided sanction for the clean out, he was the All Blacks most penalised on the night, giving away four penalties throughout the game.
The big man was penalised once for a high shot on halfback Tate McDermott, once for being offside, once for not rolling away and another for not releasing on a night where the All Blacks were pinged 18 times compared to 9 by the Wallabies.
Discipline was an area that All Blacks coach Ian Foster highlighted in the post-match press conference, while Richie Mo’unga also said the side needs to not give away so many soft penalties.
“There was enough there that was controllable by us. Nothing to attribute to new laws. If you’re offside, you’re offside. That’s plain and simple and we’ve got to get better at that,” Foster said of the ill-discipline.
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
25 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
25 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments