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Tonga's ex-All Black handed ban for shot on Finn Russell
By Kim Ekin
Tonga No 8 and former All Black Vaea Fifita’s World Cup is essentially over after being handed a suspension after a red card against Scotland.
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Fifita has been suspended for four matches by the independent Disciplinary Committee after submitting a guilty plea, which means he will miss the side’s final pool game against South Africa.
The loose forward was charged with breaking Law 9.20(a), dangerous charging into a ruck or maul, in which he made contact with Scotland’s flyhalf Finn Russell.
Fifita’s afternoon was not one to remember after missing 10 tackles from his 17 attempts.
After losses to Ireland and to Scotland on Sunday in Nice, Tonga cannot qualify for the play-offs but can shake up the Pool by upsetting South Africa or restricting them from earning a bonus point win.
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Sad news. Hope it isn't a sign of things to come. MLR need to do a long term feasibility report on all their member clubs, For long term sustainability of the league. Where is World Rugby and its 500 million from rugby World Cup 2023? What’s their long term strategic plan?
Go to commentsThe test for the All Blacks will be whether or not Robertson can switch from McCawball ie playing to the limits of the laws and beyond if you can get away with it, to playing on your merits. McCaw was a once in a lifetime freak cunning law bender (to put it nicely) that NZ will be unlikely to find again, meaning they are getting penalised out of a lot of games trying to copy him. Given Robertson is from Canterbury, where McCaw learnt his trade, it may not be easy for him. Even my wise old kiwi rugby mate in the South Island reckons Robertson will struggle.
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