Jona Nareki's season on the ropes after ban for dangerous tackle

Jona Nareki’s Highlanders season is on the ropes after a two-week ban for his red card offence in round 13’s win over the Waratahs.

The Highlanders have just two games remaining before seedings are cemented and the playoffs begin, with a bye in the final round of the regular season.

The centre’s 59th-minute tackle was deemed dangerous with no significant mitigating factors during the match, resulting in a yellow card that was then upgraded to a 20-minute red card. The Waratahs proceeded to score two tries and close the Highlanders’ lead to just two points, but a Cam Millar penalty on the stroke of full-time saw the Southeners survive with a 31-26 victory.

It was Nareki’s first start at centre in his professional career, but there is a chance he’ll be able to wear the No.13 jersey again this season.

While the foul play review committee found the mid-range entry point of six weeks to be appropriate, they then took Nareki’s guilty plea and clean disciplinary record into consideration and cut that figure in half. The ban was further reduced after a three-week term was deemed disproportionate, ultimately resulting in a two-week ban.

Nareki has, additionally, been granted permission to apply for World Rugby’s coaching intervention program, which would shave another week off his suspension.

The 28-year-old will therefore miss this week’s trip to Hamilton to play the Chiefs, but may return the following week when the Highlanders round out their regular season against the Hurricanes in Wellington.

The team sits one place — and three competition points — outside of a playoff spot, with Nareki sure to be available for the knockout stages should they climb in the rankings over a tough final two games.

Meanwhile, Kurtis MacDonald’s fate will be decided at a judicial committee hearing on Tuesday evening after the Crusaders rookie’s red card against the Blues at Te Kaha.

The 21-year-old stumbled on his way into a high-ball contest and made dangerous contact with a player in the air, and was swiftly shown a red card. Like the Highlanders, going down to 14 men didn’t stop the Crusaders from emerging victorious, but MacDonald’s season is on the line at the hearing. The Crusaders have a bye in round 14 before finishing the season against the same opponents as the Highlanders, although the defending champions will host both fixtures.