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'Lost the plot': Fans fume as Pablo Matera escapes red despite Sam Gilbert-like tip tackle
Fans have been left questioning the consistency of Super Rugby Pacific officials after Crusaders flanker Pablo Matera managed to escape a red card despite tip-tackling Reds centre Jordan Petaia on Friday.
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The Crusaders scored a 28-15 victory over the Reds in Christchurch to cement their second-place finish in the competition’s regular season and lock-in a quarter-final clash against the Queenslanders at Orangetheory Stadium next weekend.
The result was marred by controversy, though, as Matera was fortunate to avoid being sent off after dumping Petaia on his head during a clean out at a ruck.
Matera’s actions mirrored those of Highlanders first-five Sam Gilbert, who was last week red-carded by referee Nic Berry for the same infringement when he landed Waratahs star Michael Hooper on his head from a breakdown clean out.
Gilbert was subsequently handed a five-week suspension by SANZAAR, bringing an end to his Super Rugby Pacific campaign, leaving fans to question why Friday’s official Ben O’Keeffe didn’t send Matera off for such a similar incident.
Instead, the Los Pumas loose forward was given only a yellow card, with O’Keeffe and television match official Shane McDermott determining that Matera had dangerously lifted Petaia before landing him on his back and shoulder.
That’s in spite of the fact that replays appeared to show that Petaia had landed on his neck, as highlighted by Sky Sport commentators Justin Marshall and Taylah Johnson.
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Nevertheless, O’Keeffe and McDermott ruled that Matera’s actions only warranted a yellow card, which the O’Keeffe said was an upgraded from the penalty he was initially set to hand out.
That resulted in spectators being confused over rugby’s laws and consistency of officiating, especially in the wake of Gilbert’s red card last week.
🟨 vs 🟥 🤔
If Matera isn’t cited for this on Petaia, in comparison to Gilbert on Hooper, it would be good to hear from someone in charge as to why not. pic.twitter.com/Pz66RqiOKg— Steve Lenthall (@steve_l15) May 27, 2022
One fan brought into question how Matera’s infringement wasn’t worthy of a red when England lock Charlie Ewels was sent off for an innocuous head knock against Ireland in the Six Nations earlier this year.
Others said rugby had “lost the plot” and that the sport’s current laws “have replaced any semblance of common sense”, while some were sceptical as to whether Matera would have been red-carded if he was playing for a team other than the Crusaders.
bang heads accidentally = red
pick some one up and chuck them to the deck on purpose so they can break their neck = yellow
ADVERTISEMENTi give up with this game sometimes
— J.B. Claims (@jbclaims) May 27, 2022
It’s mental and can’t be defended. We’ve lost the plot. Laws have replaced any semblance of common sense
— Rugby Report Card (@rugby_podcast) May 27, 2022
How was Matera not red carded? O’Keefe 🤦🏼♂️#CRUvRED #superrugbypacific pic.twitter.com/lZvQG7lEqN
— Kapil (@KapilJekishan) May 27, 2022
World Rugby and SANZAAR need to sort this shot out. Similar tackle last week occurred on McReight and Hooper.
What’s it going to take, a broken neck???
— rob (@rob47138671) May 27, 2022
Pablo Matera with one of the dirtiest pieces of play and its a yellow only
Super Rugby is a joke
— Rugby Digest (@RugbyDigestSA) May 27, 2022
Sick of this where does he land. It is the action that should be punished. That is no different to Hooper a week ago. So Petaia need to dive to the ground head first for Matera to get a red. Punish actions not outcomes. #CRUvRED
— Bart Willis (@bartinoheat) May 27, 2022
The game continues to baffle me. How was that not red card for Matera. His action lead to Petaia landing dangerously on his head/neck regardless of whether it was the 1st part of his body that makes contact with the ground 🤦🏻♂️ @SuperRugby #cruvred
— Eoin Toolan (@Toolan82) May 27, 2022
How was that red last week and a yellow this week? Matera should have got sent for picking Petaia up by his ballbag anyway…
— Jamie Wall (@JamieWall2) May 27, 2022
I swear this would have been a red card in the 90s.
Matera protected by the Crusader’s cloak here, had it been in a Pumas jersey… https://t.co/VTV2TAbeMu
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) May 27, 2022
Just put tv on. Crusaders v Reds. Saw Matera dump a guy on his head, which on another day could’ve paralyzed him. Red card all day. But no, yellow. If Matera were in Pumas or jaguares colours, would it have been yellow? #Rugby
— Craig Ray (@craigray11) May 27, 2022
How he lands shouldn’t be mitigated down to a yellow. Matera lifts him past horizontal and then dumps him.
These need to be straight red!
— Big Will (@BigWill_Rugby) May 27, 2022
Despite the outcry spurred on by call that the officials made, O’Keeffe and McDermott did receive some support, with one punter offering some sympathy to the referees.
Bit of discussion around the Matera YC and whether it should be red.
Definitely one that could go either way, but I have some sympathy for O’Keeffe, due to the judiciary being so lenient lately and overturning a number of reds.
That has to play on a ref’s mind#CRUvRED
— Ryan Nixon (@NewYorkNixon) May 27, 2022
Matera may not yet have escaped the wrath of the SANZAAR judicial committee, who may view his indiscretion differently to that of O’Keeffe and McDermott.
Should he be cited for the incident, Matera would run the risk of ending his one-season spell with the Crusaders earlier than expected through suspension.
However, Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson defended his star man, whose services he said he was hopeful of retaining ahead of next week’s playoffs.
“We’re pleased with a yellow. He tried to stop and he knew when he got to that point, he didn’t go through with it, which is probably a saviour for him,” Robertson said post-match.
“It’s taken out of his hands now, in a lot of ways. He’s in such a rich vein of form and he’s been so good for us. Hopefully that’s just it, that’s happened on the field.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
65 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments