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'The Dan du Preez incident has been blown out of all proportion': Sale latest on citing and brawl-causing water carrier incidents
Interim Sale boss Paul Deacon has defended back row Dan du Preez following his citing for an alleged strike with the shoulder during last Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership win at Gloucester. South African du Preez is due to appear before an online disciplinary hearing on Wednesday evening following a second half incident in a feisty match where Gloucester’s Ed Slater has also been cited for dangerous play.
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Deacon further had his say on the incident late in the game where a Sale water carrier grabbed the ball to prevent Gloucester taking a quick lineout, an incident that resulted in an ugly all-in brawl.
There has been much commentary since last Saturday about both Sale incidents, but Deacon, who has stepped up to temporarily fill the role vacated last month by Steve Diamond, believes mitigation should be factored into both debates.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t read much press. The Dan du Preez incident has been blown out of all proportion,” insisted the Sale caretaker boss. “The (Gloucester) player was stood up when Dan committed to the tackle, he has ended up probably two feet off the floor and Dan has dropped to two feet off the floor.
“These things happen on rugby fields. It’s not black and white. It wasn’t pre-meditated. It’s just a decision, he has committed to the tackle, tried to drop. It looks ugly but these things can happen.
https://twitter.com/premrugby/status/1345694700825686017
“We don’t want head injuries. I totally agree with that, but there is some element of danger when you take to the rugby field. That’s just the way the game works. Dan didn’t mean any harm to the lad (Chris Harris). He apologised, he texted him after the game to see if he was alright. I just saw it as an accident if you like.
“I don’t believe Dan didn’t use no arms. He wrapped his right arm and he ended up under his armpit with his right hand, so I don’t think that was a problem in that incident… it was an accident. He did hit him around the neck area, which we don’t want to see, but there are mitigating circumstances in that case.
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“It happened in the split of a second. As soon as you’re committed to a tackle things can change, it’s not completely instant… I do think it has to be taken into consideration. The speed at which the game is played at and the speed at which these decisions are made, sort of split-second instances that things can change.
“It was unfortunate,” added Deacon, switching from the du Preez incident to the subsequent dust-up that featured the Sale water carrier, resulting in him getting sent to the stands and a yellow card for the frustrated Billy Twelvetrees of Gloucester.
“Our water carrier, it was just an instinct to pick up the ball. He didn’t move his feet. The ball just appeared in front of him. On speaking to him he probably shouldn’t have done it but he was just picking up the ball.
“Again, split-second decision to hand it back really. It just looked ugly. We don’t want to see scenes like that in our game but again emotions do run high and it was an emotional ending to the game with a last-minute score etc, etc. Again, unfortunate incident but I do think sometimes the contest isn’t considered.”
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Sale have reviewed that incident internally, but they don’t think there is an ongoing issue within English rugby with non-playing staff interfering with play. “We are all aware (of the protocols). That runs smoothly every game. I don’t think there is an issue there.”
Deacon added the media focus on both incidents hasn’t taken away from the merit of Sale’s victory, their first since Diamond’s surprise exit last month. “That’s the press,” he said. “You guys do what you do. It’s certainly not affected the way we feel in this building.
“To be fair that is all I am concerned about. That has not taken away from our victory. We reviewed it Monday, went through the things we can improve on, things that went really well for us and it’s a new week this week so we are focusing now on Worcester.”
Diamond has explained the 'personal reasons' behind his decision to step back from rugby. https://t.co/7ypd6QRzpd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 4, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
An 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!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 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.
24 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.
24 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 commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
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