Aussie butthead gets two-Test ban
21 Oct 2012
Australian Scott Higginbotham was banned for two Tests for kneeing and headbutting All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
The All Blacks were understandably upset that no action was taken at that crucial juncture in the game.
‘I saw the headbutt – it’s another cheap shot,’ coach Steve Hansen said. ‘He seems to get them every week but everyone seems to miss them.’
Sanzar judicial officer Jannie Lubbe, who exonerated Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper after he kneed McCaw in the head during the Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane last year, categorised Higginbotham’s foul play as ‘low level’.
Lubbe was of the opinion that the kneeing was more ‘was more of a bump than a hit’.
The headbutt, meanwhile, ‘was reckless and not executed with much force’.
Lubbe noted McCaw was not injured and was able to play on.
574 Comments
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22 Oct 2012, 10:38 am
@bokfan1-443:
That is a fair view. however, why blame McCaw?
If he gets away with it despite the supposed worldwide angst his play generates amongst opposition fans, coaches and media, then perhaps you should direct you thinking to the alternative.
Either the refs around the world are inept and don’t posses the special bionic eye apparently everyone else was born with, or accept he might actually do ENOUGH to stay within the laws.
22 Oct 2012, 10:39 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-442:
Not cool guy..shi/t like this is not needed on here..don’t be a di/ck.
@poppa69-447:
Stop falling for the bait..and don’t stoop to his level..oh by the way ..
Po/es …oh fuc/kit..I don’t have the energy or bad manners to call you that any more.
22 Oct 2012, 10:40 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-449:
Pray tell what story are you reading?
22 Oct 2012, 10:40 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-449:
Snivelling prick how do you know the stories true
can you show me some facts
produce some hard evidence
to support you snivelling
22 Oct 2012, 10:45 am
@poppa69-447: There are criminals in every country that will murder and rape.I am very sure 99.99% of safricans are not doing what you are insinuating.I said you shouldnt go and beat your nearest and dearest which you owned up to doing straight away.I am not sure how you can label a whole country as murderers and rapists just because you admitted to beating your nearest and dearest.You might need counselling,just a thought.
22 Oct 2012, 10:46 am
@Brads-451:
Thats exactly right
its not that the refs wont penalise McCaw
they can’t because he is still playing within the rules
He is the master
22 Oct 2012, 10:50 am
@spartan-454: Read that article on yahoo xtra nz and harris said he was just surprised at the hypocrisy shown by Steve Hansen for saying that oz should develop there own players.Go read,nothing to big.
22 Oct 2012, 10:52 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-455: hahaha you really are a dumb m.onkey arent you
if all kiwis beat their nearest and dearest, then all saffas are raping. murderous leeches..
(its called sarcasm, try to learn when people are teaching you)
22 Oct 2012, 10:56 am
@out wide-14: To clarify it for you – McCaw is a very good player, I dont think any Saffa would (could) deny that. He has played 100 Tests, been Captain etc etc. so undeniably a good/great player (like any of the players to consistently represent their country over many Tests).
However what he ALSO is, is a player that deliberately ignores the rules of the game and the spirit of sportsmanship.
All players in all sports push the boundaries and rules to the edge – that is a given. I have no problem with that.
But when you deliberately commit acts that you KNOW are offside and contrary to sportsmanship, then you are not acting in an honourable way.
Deliberately lying on the wrong side, holding the ball when you are sitting on your butt (!), pretending to “fall over” and such are not sportsman-like.
Any player who does this gets the same reaction from me (and many rugby fans) but you need to understand McCaw does it the MOST and also NEVER (or hardly ever) gets carded or cited!
Some players are hardmen (eg. Dallaglio) some are dirty (eg. Owen Finnegan) some are a bit of both (a few examples here – Martin Johnson had a reputation and so on) but very few deliberately cheat and undermine their opponents in a dishonourable way.
For example, Kiwis love to go on about Bakkies – but Bakkies would go toe-to-toe and face his opponent in “direct combat” (for want of a better term). The exception was Cowan the Coward who pulled Bakkies’ jersey because he couldnt stand it that there had been a chargedown.
Most Saffas would agree Bakkies is hard, he has overstepped the line sometimes and that the headbutt was out of order.
But Kiwis will never admit – oh yeah McCaw does deliberately and dishonourably either try to play the ball, or slow down the ball.
And its fine – you guys dont HAVE to admit it. But please dont act so shocked when the rest of the rugby world draws attention to it.
22 Oct 2012, 10:57 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-397:
and **** new zealand
Revisited this site merely to read.Your nics are cringworthy.An embarrasment
to all bloggers on this site.ON BEHALF OF NZ.POSTERS,LET ME EXPRESS
MY DEEP SHAME.
22 Oct 2012, 10:57 am
@spartan-456:
Exactly.
Richie does things in a blink of an eye that other players are simply not capable of doing.
The second or so latitude Ref’s give players must be consistent. If McCaw is suddenly expected to teleport himself away from the breakdown then so would every other player be required to do so.
Suggesting that should not happen is like making Usain Bolt start 5 metres back in the 100 sprint, because the competitors don’t posses the same talent.
Or maybe, Matfield should have been required to wear lead in his boots because he was jumping too high to make the line out a fair competition.
22 Oct 2012, 10:59 am
CRINGWORTHY =CRINGEWORTHY.
22 Oct 2012, 10:59 am
@poppa69-458:ALL right then i believe you.You sarcasm is so good one could never have guessed.You must have picked that up from your ozzie mate as you clearly couldnt come up with sarcasm that evaded me on your own.Oh maybe i did get it,oh i dont know.
22 Oct 2012, 10:59 am
@bokfan1-459: same as Habana? hes continually offside when chasing the skop an jag, but you fail to mention this..
dont hate me, just pointing it out to you..
22 Oct 2012, 11:00 am
What would Harris know
I’ve lived in NZ my whole life
where do you think the majority of pacifica players got their apprenticeships that opened the door to rugby contracts worldwide ?
In the same place Harris did
NZ
22 Oct 2012, 11:00 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-445: Stick to rugby with the insults man – dont start on the wife-beating cliches.
SA (unfortunately) cannot claim a moral high ground on that issue.
I will back you in a rugby debate with Kiwis, but if you start insulting their country or crime stats, then its getting silly. You are acting like the Kiwi-mafia then
22 Oct 2012, 11:00 am
@ryecatcher-460: hurrah hurrah
22 Oct 2012, 11:01 am
@bokfan1-466: I will refrain,just slipped out.
22 Oct 2012, 11:04 am
@ryecatcher-460:
Agreed..anyone who feels the need to insult an entire country or people has some serious issues. And to flagrantly display it as a nic is not only cringe-worthy, but reflects negatively on the rest of us.
Really poor taste..which only flames the vitriol already on this RUGBY blog.
22 Oct 2012, 11:08 am
@bokfan1-459:
Go and read your rule book
then watch McCaws breakdown work
I think you will find he is actually the master
22 Oct 2012, 11:16 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-468:
Loving your work otherwise
22 Oct 2012, 11:16 am
@spartan-470: and which team do you support?
22 Oct 2012, 11:17 am
@ryecatcher-460:
Thank you Ryeman.
22 Oct 2012, 11:20 am
@Golden Boy-469:
You too Goldie.
You help restore respect.
22 Oct 2012, 11:22 am
@poppa69-464: That is a fair point Poppa – Habana is often offside, I agree.
However, pushing the offside rule is the kind of thing that ALL players do in all teams.
Falling onto your backside in a ruck but yet still hanging onto the ball is a another level of blatant disregard for the rules. When McCaw received the “how’s your father” from Dean Greyling, go and watch what McCaw was doing. Sitting on his backside, still holding the ball. That is not “pushing the boundaries”, that is not “does things in a blink of an eye” (As in Brads-461 above) that is just arrogant flagrant disregard for the rules.
I do not condone the forearm smash he got, but the ABs cannot really complain if that is the kind of thing they are doing. McCaw does get a bit superior about it post-match, which makes me chuckle. If he is going to be so blatantly dishonourable, then (unfortuntaely) the punishment will then also be extra-judicial sometimes…
22 Oct 2012, 11:22 am
@bokfan1-472:
I support the
World Cup holders
Rugby Championship Winners
Bledisloe Cup holders
16 wins 1 draw in their last 17 games
Number 1 team in the rankings
and yourself, which side do you support
22 Oct 2012, 11:25 am
@cane-474: “restore respect” – interesting concept Cane.
While I agree (as you can see in my post 466 above) those comments are out of line, you can perhaps get an idea of how the rest of the rugby world feels about NZ’s continual denial about the illegailities of some of McCaw’s actions.
How about restoring some respect for your side on this site, and admit that McCaw is sometimes deliberately unsportsmanlike and should be carded and cited more often?
22 Oct 2012, 11:26 am
@spartan-476:
Is that the same Team with a Captain who has won 100 Test Matches?
22 Oct 2012, 11:26 am
@spartan-476: Well said – therefore I cannot expect you to be objective about this.
Check YOUR rulebook – rules about releasing the tackler, when and how to enter a ruck, staying on your feet, offsides at the ruck etc etc.
Well done to your team, they are the best on the world this year (Oct – Oct).
As for me, I support the best team in the world in the history of rugby – the Springboks
22 Oct 2012, 11:27 am
@bokfan1-477:
No.
22 Oct 2012, 11:33 am
@bokfan1-479:
“As for me, I support the best team in the world in the history of rugby – the Springboks”.
Yeah right.
Knock back another Tui.
22 Oct 2012, 11:33 am
@cane-480: Exactly – arrogance and denial. Just like the ABs and like McCaw’s attitude to the rules?
Remember this Kiwi mafia – rugby has always been a game where players sorted out other players deliberately infringing. In the old days, if you were lying on the ball, you got RUCKED. The ABs were famous for their rucking.
Nowadays, players are not allowed to ruck, so a player like McCaw (and any other player doing it) constantly lying on the wrong side or playing the ball on the ground has to be dealt with in some way…
I have zero sympathy if a Bok is pinged or rucked or klapped for doing something wrong. I expect better from my team.
Beat your opponents man-to-man, honourably. Pulling down in lineouts, illegal scrumming, and playing the ball on the ground, is not the way to do it.
22 Oct 2012, 11:35 am
@snivelling little kiwi pricks-467:
You are dribbling again Sniveller.
22 Oct 2012, 11:37 am
@bokfan1-479:
The men paid to to make sure players abide by the rulebook i.e the referees
seem to agree that McCaw is for the most part playing within the rules
so you check your rulebook
Hmmm South Africa the best in the history of rugby
I’LL agree to disagree
22 Oct 2012, 11:37 am
Where is Hurricane
Did I read somewhere that he is coming here
22 Oct 2012, 11:40 am
@bokfan1-482:
Perhaps the Boks should change their name.
Saints…………………………………..perhaps!
St Bakkies.
St Burger.
St Bismark.
The Trinity of Gougers.
And that is only starting the letter B.
22 Oct 2012, 11:41 am
@Dawn-485:
Are you feeling lucky?
22 Oct 2012, 11:43 am
@spartan-484:
“I’LL agree to disagree”.
Fk, that will confuse them.
22 Oct 2012, 11:47 am
@cane-486: You are doing your old trick of deflection and avoidance Caney…. come on guy, Ive known you longer than that. Dont teach the newer Kiwis on here your bad habits.
Some Bok players have been VERY badly behaved, and the majority of Bok fans are not impressed with them.
However they are hard/bad/dirty in a “manly” way – similar to Colin Meads, Brad Thorn, Mealamu, Kronfeld etc etc.
The discussion on McCaw’s actions and attitude is a different thing.
But you guys wont change how you feel about this, and I wouldnt expect you to admit anything bad about your captain to a Saffa. Fair enough.
My only request (as above) is to please not act so appalled when the rest of the rugby world mentions it. You happen to visit a Saffa site here, but Im sure Aussies, French, English etc. have similar feelings. McCaw is a great player, and a victorious Capt. but he deliberately ignores the rules and commits acts that ANY rugby player KNOWS are not to be done.
22 Oct 2012, 11:48 am
Higginbotham got 2 WEEKS.
Must have been a Saffa on the panel.
22 Oct 2012, 11:49 am
@cane-490:
Sounds about right to me.
Same punishment as Kevvy.
22 Oct 2012, 11:50 am
@cane-488:
hehehe
22 Oct 2012, 11:54 am
@bokfan1-489:
Since when has Eye Gouging been manly ?
And I don’t ‘need to teach anybody anything Bokfan.
This place usually involves a steep learning curve………………………………very steep………………….or a short stopover.
i.e. Learn fast………………………………………or fkcu off.
22 Oct 2012, 11:55 am
@willievz-491:
kevvie got his redcuced co he was a good oke and it was completely out of charaqcter for him.
22 Oct 2012, 11:59 am
@cane-493: When were any of those 3 convicted or even accused of eye-gouging Cane?
Bakkies.
Burger.
Bismark
22 Oct 2012, 11:59 am
@gunther-494:
He is such a good oke that I was surprised he got banned at all.
22 Oct 2012, 12:00 pm
@willievz-491:
Kevy was exonerated on Appeal.
Now that is justice.
Higginbotham on the other hand, committed 2 Citable offences in the period of 3.6 seconds. (possibly 3 offences)
Should have been 4 weeks minimum.
22 Oct 2012, 12:01 pm
@bokfan1-489:
If McCaw breaks the rules he would be duly punished
The refs can’t take it for granted that he is cheating because public opinion says he is
they must adjudicate according to the laws of the game
Surely you must realise that therefore Richie must be operating within the law
Mark my words they will be watching him like I Love U Bakkies
but they cant just make up a penalty
they have to ref whats in front of them
22 Oct 2012, 12:03 pm
@willievz-496:
I know.
Howwid citing officer.
jissus.
but he is a lekker oke.
22 Oct 2012, 12:06 pm
Sorry their Richie
they sometimes do just make up a penalty
the one near fulltime v the Reds in Brisbane 2011
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