Blues lock banned for brawl
15 Jun 2012
Blues lock Filo Paulo received a five-week ban for fighting during the North-South exhibition clash in Dunedin last Sunday
The match was played to help the cash-strapped Otago union settle their unpaid debts, which almost forced it to go into liquidation earlier this year.
Paulo, featuring for North, was cited for a punch on South and Crusaders lock Tom Donnelly during the first half.
Judicial officer Roger Drummond revealed that the usual penalty for this offence is eight weeks, but he took a few factors into consideration: Paulo’s relatively clean record, his early acknowledgement of the offence, the that he had expressed remorse and that he had apologised to the player concerned after the match, which the South won 32-24.
The suspension will still, however, see the player miss the rest of the Auckland franchise’s Super Rugby campaign.
10 Comments
15 Jun 2012, 08:00 am
They can’t help themselves. Did anyone take his blood…quite possibly drunk too.
15 Jun 2012, 08:43 am
So if you say yes I am guilty and sorry then you get some time off your punishment ? First off , whats the use of admitting cos it was clear for all to see. They had a major full on brawl in that game , like the old days brawl. ah well.
15 Jun 2012, 08:48 am
vuilgoed.
15 Jun 2012, 10:31 am
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters.(Predawn)-1:
Excuse me. Who are they?
15 Jun 2012, 10:41 am
What is a “relatively clean record”? Is that like being only slightly corrupt?
15 Jun 2012, 15:00 pm
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters.(Predawn)-1:
Unlike a South African game, there were no bites, hair pulling or eye gouging.
Just good old fashion brawl.
15 Jun 2012, 16:44 pm
Why are some sanctions measured in weeks and some in games played? (Elstard the Stormers flank has just been banned for one game)
Surely there should be some sort of guidlines that ensure consistency.
15 Jun 2012, 22:50 pm
This has to be one of the most blatant cowardly acts I have seen on a rugby field in a long time. He should have been banned for the season or longer.
I have no issues with a bit of biff, but he ran up to a player who was lying on the ground and just punched him in the face. Donnally had fallen to the ground in seperating Coles and Lynn, and this bloke come in after the fact and smacks an unsuspecting prone person. Coward of the highest order!
15 Jun 2012, 23:03 pm
Good old fashioned brawl, yeah right Hurricane, The first two blokes were swinging and missing like two girls at the Coyotte Bar and the thug Paulo kneels down and smashes an unsuspecting bloke on the ground. I’m seriously impressed. Real manly stuff!
15 Jun 2012, 23:37 pm
Hobbits against marikiwis fight
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