The reasons why the Kolisi headbutt and lack of punishment sets a dangerous precedent
What is it they say about actions speaking louder than words? World Rugby makes a lot of noise about protecting the brains of players. Concussion – brain injury – is a grave and growing problem in the game and the governing body shouts long and loud about the need to get tough on hits to the head.
Tackle high – accidentally, some may argue unavoidably, or not – and you’re in trouble. Lead with an elbow into contact and you make a rod for your own back. There are cameras everywhere and officials on high alert with a battery of technology at their disposal. Transgressions bring greater punishments and foul play lengthier bans.
The message is clear – the head is sacrosanct and must be protected. And this is how rugby has to be while it grapples with rising brain injury rates and mounting research on what the impact of those blows might be.
You’d assume quite naturally then that deliberately headbutting an opponent in the face, even under provocation, would rank pretty near the top of the naughty list. A red card? Most certainly. A hefty ban? Surely. We’re getting tough on contact to the head, see?
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Watch: Laidlaw and Townsend reflect on Springboks defeat
Siya Kolisi wants to get down to the nearest Cardiff corner shop and buy himself a lottery ticket. Seldom will a player guilty of such violence escape with only a mealy-mouthed citing commissioner’s warning on his record.
The South African captain is not a dirty player but he visited a heinous act of brutality upon Pete Horne, the Scotland centre, in the Springboks’ Murrayfield triumph. Horne was illegally holding Kolisi down at the base of a ruck. The flanker glanced behind him, then threw his head back into the face and forehead of his opponent. It was disgusting and it was captured live on television.
Romain Poite, the match referee, appeared to be staring at the ruck but didn’t see the blow. Fair enough, but quite what TMO Ben Skeen was up to is anyone’s guess. This was a glaring miss.
“These things happen, but you question what the TMO is doing,” said the Scotland full-back, Stuart Hogg, on Monday.
“He can have a look three or four times, or as many times as he wants. The unfortunate thing was we got a good outcome on the back of that phase of play, so they didn’t look back at it.
“Peter Horne is a hard bugger and just managed to get on with it. He didn’t whinge about it.
“I asked Pete, ‘was that a legit head-butt?’ and he said he felt he was head-butted. But it has happened. We can’t do anything about it now.”
Kolisi was officially “warned” – a hollow ticking-off reserved for incidents that, according to World Rugby, “fall just short” of a red card. He was not cited because of two mitigating factors: firstly, that Horne was holding him down and secondly, that the force of the blow was “moderate”.
Provocation does not excuse violence. That’s the old playground defence: “But, sir, he started it!” It might be sufficient to knock a week or two off a suspension, but it should not be mitigation enough to downgrade a deliberate head-butt from anything but red.
And as for the “moderate” part – are we to deduce that a “moderate” headbutt is not worthy of a sending off? Because you didn’t land quite as vicious a blow as you’d hoped, you escape with rapped knuckles? “Sir, I only moderately stuck the head on him.” Speak to brain experts about the damage “moderate” blows can do. What dangerous nonsense this is. What an appalling message it sends. And what a risible contradiction this ruling creates. You are seeking to reduce brain injuries or you are not. The head is sacrosanct or it isn’t. It cannot be both.
The verdict is absurd in isolation but it is completely farcical when you look at what is going on across rugby just now. The sanctions other players are getting for accidental high shots or high-speed collisions are controversial and designed to encourage a change in behaviour. How can Danny Cipriani be sent off for a clumsy but timid high shoulder and Kolisi not for a deliberate head-butt? How can Pierre Schoeman get four weeks for an accidental shunt to the jaw of a poorly-set tackler and Kolisi get off with a warning?
You can pick out any number of derided but correct red cards from this season alone and each makes the Kolisi judgement more perplexing. And you can’t help but wonder if the outcome might have been different had a Tier Two player, especially a Pacific Islander, been doing the head-butting.
“Player welfare is massive. World Rugby are trying to make sure we are in the safest possible place,” Hogg went on to say.
“I just think there is a severe lack of consistency at all levels of the game now. World Rugby will look into it. They are in charge.”
So much flagrant garbage has been wailed about the game going soft, but it is harder than it has ever been. Rugby has some deep flaws to address and top of the list is making itself safer and more palatable to the public. That’s what these sanctions are about and why they are so important.
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Watch: Erasmus speaks after win over Scotland
Ironically, it was Kolisi’s coach, Rassie Erasmus, who spoke well about this seminal time.
“We all can live with it, if we have an open channel where we can discuss these things and get to the right answer,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“This transition period where we’re finding a way, like football when they tried goal-line technology, we just hang in there, because I know nobody is trying to cheat.”
Erasmus is right. We can all live with firmer punishments as long as they are consistently applied. We should embrace them as tools to rescue rugby from a perilous and uncertain future. There will be controversy and there will be scorn, but if ill-informed bleating is the price to pay for fewer brain-injured players and a safer sport, so be it.
Erasmus said something else on Saturday. “Nobody is nailing anybody on purpose.” He might want to speak to his captain about that. Amidst all the dispute, there are some tenets upon which we can all agree – namely, that deliberately head-butting an opponent should never be anything less than a red-card offence.
Read Next: Siya Kolisi’s RPI stats
Comments on RugbyPass
Sorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to commentsI had not considered this topic like this at all, brilliant read. I had been looking at his record at the Waratahs and thought it odd the Crusaders appointed him, then couple that with all that experience and talent departing and boom. They’ve got some great talent developing though, and in all honesty I don’t think anyone would be over confident taking them on in a playoff match, no matter how poor the first half of their season was. I think they can pull a game out of their ass when it counts.
2 Go to commentsNot a bad list but not Porecki and not Donaldson. Not because they are Tahs, or Ex Tahs, they are just not good enough. Edmed should be ahead. Far more potential. Wilson should be 8 and Valentini 6. Wilson needs to be told by his father and his coach, stop bloody running in to brick wall defence. You’re not playing under the genius Thorn any more. He’s a fantastic angle runner. The young new 8 from the Brumbies looks really good too. The Lonegrans are just too small for international rugby as is Paisami, as is Hamish Stewart at 12. Both great at Super Rugby level. Stewart could have been a great 10 if not for Brad Thorn. Uru should be there and so should Tupou. Tupou just needs good Australian coaching which he hasn’t been getting. I don’t think Schmidt will excite him.
2 Go to commentsIf he wants to come back then he should. He will be a major asset to the younger locks and could easily be played as an impact player off the bench coming on in the last 30. He is fit, strong and capable and has all the experience to make up for any loss in physical prowess. He could also be brought back with a view to coaching within the structures one day. Duane Vermeulen played until he was 37 or 38. He is now a roaming coach within the South African coaching structures. He was valuable in the last world cup and has been a major influence on Jasper Wiese and other young players which has helped and accelerated their development and growth. Whitelock could do the exact same thing for NZ
10 Go to commentsBrett Excellent words… finally someone (other than DC) has noted that Hanigan is very hard and very good at doing what Backrow should do… his performance via the Drua sauna was quite daunting for those on the other side… very high tackle count… carries with good end result… constant threat to make a good 20-25 meters with those long legs… providing his mass effectively to crunching the Drua pack… Finally he is returning to quality form… way to much injury time over the last 2 years… smart-strong-competent in his skills… caught every lineout throw aimed at him and delivered clean pass to whoever was down below… and he worked hard for the whole 80 minutes… Ned has to be in the top 5 for backrow honors… He knows what is required as he has been there before…
20 Go to commentsI think Sam Whitelock should not touch a return with a bargepole. He went out on a high, playing in the RWC Final. He would be coming back into a team that will be weaker than last years, and might even be struggling to win games, especially against the Boks. Stay in France, enjoy another year with Pau, playing alongside his brother.
10 Go to commentsRyan Coxon has been very impressive considering he was signed by WF as injury cover whilst Uru has been a standout for QR, surprised neither of those mentioned
2 Go to commentsIt’s the massive value he brings with regard team culture/values, preparation, etc. Can’t buy that. I’m hoping to see the young locks get their chance in the big games though.
10 Go to commentsAll good, Gregor, except that you neglected to mention Sam Darry amongst that talented pool of locks. In fact, given Hannah’s inexperience and the fact that Holland won’t be eligible until next year, Lord and Darry might be the frontrunners this year, to join Barrett, Tuipoluto, Va’ii and possibly Whitelock. In fact there might be room for all of them if Barrett played 6 (like Ollie Chessum).
10 Go to commentsHis value is stabilizing the ship 20 - 40 minutes out from the final whistle plus his valuable experience to the underlings coming through.
10 Go to commentsWhat is criminal is she acts like it's no problem her actions have have cause the Italian player to lose her playing career, lose salary, if she did this in day to day life she would be in jail, she is a complete thug!!!
3 Go to commentsCorrect me if i’m wrong but the sadas have to win all games running into the finals yeh nah?
1 Go to commentsDon’t like Diamond but the maul is a joke, the sight of a choke tackle creating a maul then players in offside positions flopping on it killing the ball but then getting the put in? Banal.
3 Go to commentsHopefully Tabai Matson returns to Crusaders as head coach next season.
1 Go to commentsstorm in a teacup really. Penalty only so play on as the try was scored. Now the real question is: why was Maitland allowed to pass the ball off the floor? That is illegal but refs never pick it up.
1 Go to commentsWhen Beauden Barrett signed his contract before the 2023 RWC to play in Japan in 2024, it was NOT part of a sabbatical agreed to with NZRU prior to his signing, as was Ardie Savea and Sam Cane. Barrett changed his mind after the fact and negotiated his return to NZ Rugby and he was given permission to be eligible for All Black selection straight away once he signed a new contract to return to the Blues in 2025. Therefore, why would anyone argue against Whitelock returning to the All Blacks straight away after his season is France is finished if he signs a new contract with NZRU which includes a Super Rugby contract in 2025? If Barrett can, Whitelock should be allowed too.
10 Go to commentsThe All Blacks will select 5 locks this season. Scott Robertson will most likely want to select 2 veteran locks who can start right away in 2024 and 3 young promising locks who he would like to be pushing hard for selection in the starting XV in two years time- 2026. Scott Barrett is a world class lock. Who would you rather start beside him this season against England, South Africa, Ireland, and France- Sam Whitelock or Patrick Tuipulotu? I would choose Whitelock over Tuipulotu all day, every day.
10 Go to comments