Legal and illegal when it comes to tackling in Rugby?

by Mike Greenaway

Sharks openside flank Keegan Daniel’s two-week censure handed out by a Sanzar judiciary yesterday for an allegedly dangerous tackle on a Brumbies player is the latest questionable episode in SANZAR’s management of what is legal and illegal when it comes to tackling.

Daniel, who has no history of foul play, was cited and subsequently suspended for a rough and contentiously illegal tackle on Brumbies scrumhalf Patrick Phibbs, but when considers what Crusaders centre Sonny Bill Williams alone has got away with this year – a vicious shoulder charge on Ryan Kankowski at Twickenham is one case that springs to mind – it seems unfair that Daniel must miss the Sharks’ match next week against the Bulls at Kings Park.

And when the Sharks visited Newlands a fornight ago, a number of cheap shots on Sharks players went uncited (and unpunished).

The hearing was chaired by SANZAR Judicial Officer, Jannie Lubbe and was held at the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union offices in Durban yesterday. The suspension is effective until May 21, meaning Daniel will effectively miss this week’s round because the Sharks have a bye and next week’s home match.

Further bad news on the loose forward front is that No 8 Ryan Kankowski’s cheek bone injury, sustained against the Stormers in Cape Town, is more serious than first believed, but offsetting these developments is the news that Jacques Botes is just about over an ankle injury and should be fit to take over from Daniel while Jean Deysel’s successful comeback over the last fortnight has freed Willem Alberts to move from blindside flank to No 8 in place of Kankowski.

Further good news is that Springbok and Sharks captain John Smit is likely to play a role against the Bulls. The word from the Sharks camp is that he is “75 percent” over the calf injury that forced him from the field early in the second half against the Stormers at Newlands and should be fit after this bye week.

The Sharks are generally in good shape given that 12 bruising weeks of Super Rugby have transpired and they have no long-term injuries on their books.

“Strength in depth is going to be crucial over the next two months or so,” coach John Plumtree said. “We have already played so much rugby and still have five matches to go before the play-offs (should the Sharks qualify). It is a massive test of the mental and physical abilities of the players.”

Plumtree said the victory over the Brumbies last week had been a timely reminder to the players of what it is required each week to win in this competition.

“Our change room was littered with spent bodies,” he said. “Sometimes the players forget what it takes to win at this level, and you can slip up. That is how tough this competition is – if not everybody in your team is up for it on the day, you will get hurt.”