Law quirk may save Wallabies gun after hip drop tackle sidelines Leroy Carter

Rob Valetini may be fortunate World Rugby’s new hip-drop penalty is yet to be validated after the Wallabies backrower’s late tackle left All Blacks winger Leroy Carter with a potentially serious ankle injury.

The All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup with a 50-19 win at Eden Park, their 12th-straight Test defeat of the Wallabies extending their unbeaten streak at the venue to 54.

Valetini’s desperate effort on Carter to stop a try in the 67th minute forced the winger off the park.

Coming from behind, Valetini’s weight appeared to fall on Carter’s legs as he fell to the ground.

“It didn’t look good. Sort of like a hip-drop type tackle, landed on the back of his ankle,” New Zealand coach Dave Rennie said.

World Rugby, after years of serious injuries in similar tackles, followed the NRL and NFL and moved earlier in the week to add specific mention of the hip-drop in the global game’s rule book.

Currently there is nothing in the laws to penalise the action but, as of November 1, it will result in at least a penalty kick and potential suspension.

“I’ll leave that for the officials,” Rennie said when asked if the tackle should be punished.

“I’m sure it’s not intentional, but that’s the way the game’s going.”

Captain Codie Taylor said the All Blacks, coming off three-straight losses to South Africa, were spurred on by a Tana Umaga “spray” earlier in the week.

Umaga, now an assistant coach, had been in sides that have won and retained the Bledisloe in the late 1990s early 2000s.

“Appropriate fear,” Taylor said of how it fired up the side.

“Which is what you need when you’re playing for the Bled at Eden Park.”

Wallabies centre Len Ikitau failed his head injury assessment and is set to miss the Sydney rematch next Saturday, while All Blacks lock Scott Barrett was also concussed but Rennie was hopeful he would pass protocols to feature.