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'I thought it was pretty bad': The final hit that floored Otere Black

By Tom Vinicombe
Otere Black. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Departing Blues playmaker Otere Black was able to call time on his career with the Super Rugby franchise by guiding them to a Trans-Tasman title – but the 26-year-old was at risk of missing out on much of the final after copping a high shot to Maori All Blacks teammate Ash Dixon in the 24th minute of the match.

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Dixon rushed out of the line to put a hit on the Blues No 10 but got the tackle badly wrong, smashing his shoulder into Black’s head.

Referee Mike Fraser ultimately decided that a yellow card was due punishment for the hit, sending Dixon to the sin-bin while Black also left the field for a head injury assessment (HIA).

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Both players returned to the game after 10 minutes and Dixon was quick to downplay the incident after the match.

“That was silly from me,” he said. “Na, no way, [it wasn’t malicious]. Not some guy like that. He’s a top bloke and a good man. I was just trying to stop him and just got my timing a bit off.”

Dixon admitted he did fear the worse after the hit – but primarily because he was concerned for the safety of Black.

Not long after the result, Black revealed his own thoughts on the tackle on the latest episode of the What a Lad podcast, hosted by James Marshall.

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Marshall, a former teammate of Black’s at the Hurricanes, asked whether a red card would have been warranted for the shot.

“To be honest, I thought it was pretty bad,” Black responded. “Everyone’s got their own opinions and Ash would never ever try and do it to hurt me as well, he’s a nice guy.

“We’ve been joking around about it all day today because the Landers boys just got in today [for the Maori All Blacks camp]. There’s been a few jokes going around camp around Ash, ‘Don’t know how he’s playing this week after that’. Na it’s all good. I’ve pulled up all right and managed to get back out there.”

 

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Further punishment may have been considered for Dixon had Black not passed his HIA and returned to the game – eventually guiding the Blues home 23-15. Instead, however, the pair were able to combine to earn the Maori All Blacks a 2-0 series win over Samoa over the past two weekends.

Super Rugby adopted new HIA technology this year, ostensibly designed to produce better, quicker results. Black admitted that the tests he undertook to get back on the field were fairly rigorous, with both old and new methods utilised.

“The HIA’s are tough these days eh? They’re even hard without being concussed so I was actually quite surprised I passed it,” he said.

“They’ve got the new one where you put the glasses on, you’ve got to follow all these dots. I had to do that plus the old one – remember the names and all of those things. Once I passed that, I just had to get through the last one. It just takes ages but we got there in the end.”

Black will play for Bay of Plenty in this year’s NPC before heading to Japan to represent NTT Shining Arcs.

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john 56 minutes 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.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 2 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 5 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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