How Long Will Higganbotham Get?

Again Brisbane, again Wallaby thuggery targets Richie McCaw, again a casual knee to the head, another headbutt on the AB Captain.

Despite looking right at it, it was one of those nights when the usually accurate Craig Joubert apparently "couldn't see it", maybe the South African has cataracts, it seemed to be a continuous issue for him, the inability to spot a Wallaby infringing. Will the citing commissioner have clearer vision? and how long will the Higganbotham get rested for? It must be clear to the citing commission that this tactic is a predetermined and premeditated and conscious approach from the Wallabies.

He should get a decent rest, I'd suggest the judiciary should rule him out of the AIs altogether.

I think you should change the topic to "Joubert needs a hiatus" as it seems you are focusing more on him than the headbutt.

Either way, perhaps heshould retire, eh?

Biltong wrote:I think you should change the topic to "Joubert needs a hiatus" as it seems you are focusing more on him than the headbutt.

Either way, perhaps heshould retire, eh?

Well, there's a precedent for it Biltong...

Start a petition, just be careful not to make any threats.

Let's not derail it. How long do you think Higganbotham should be out for? Interesting that the Wallabies seem to be the new thugs of world rugby now that the Springboks are going in a new constructive direction...

I actually thought it was Mccaws dirty play on the flaw then a meeting of heads...

Mccaws head moves towards Hig as much as the other way around.

It is fun watching you squirm though still attempting to pretend not to be a kiwi fan

Bluesman, I've come to respect your opinions as a great benchmark of truth.

Without fail, whatever your opinion is, reality is invariably the exact opposite.

Oh so poor mr Mccaw dragged himself to the ground, got stamped on and Hig tripped over his limp pleading body then continued to butt Mccaw while totally defenseless?

Lets see what is made of it shall we?

I suspect the regulation IRB ban, starting immediately where the number of weeks is rendered largely irrelevant by the absence of games in most of those weeks.

I imagine he'll be out for the first game of the tour and that will be it.

We'll see.

AWOP clearly sore after the draw.

Sores not the word!!!!

Just interested in the justice or lack thereof in the judiciary system mowgli. Looked like a clear case of an off-the-ball knee, we saw Bakkies Botha yellowed for that previously, and he followed it up with a head-butt, we've seen players out for months after that.

I'm intrigued to see how this one is treated by the notoriously erratic citing commission.

I'm interested in Jouberts assertion that it was "inevitable". That seems like fairly weak refereeing to me. Or are we permitted one knee to the head, and head-butt per game now? if it's inevitable?

Actually didn't see the knee.

The head butt Ive seen worse 10 times over this morning from the 2-4 yr olds!

I thought it was an accident to be honest.

Higgingbottom got up from the ruck or what ever it was, Mcaw sat there and higgingbottom caught as he was trying to move away.

And it also looked like Mccaw grabed Higginbottom and (Pulled him to the ground) So i ask how long should Mccaw get for causing the HEAD BUTT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

I reckon he'll get 2-4 weeks, there wasn't much in it. I don't remember the exact circumstances but wasn't McCaw flopping around on the wrong side of the ruck or off his feet or something before it happened? Obviously that doesn't excuse the behaviour and it did look a bit cheap but eventually players get sick of it. How many times was McCaw penalised tonight?

AWOP wouldn't be vaguely interested in the knee had Carter not choked and NZ had won

Full Credit wrote:I reckon he'll get 2-4 weeks, there wasn't much in it. I don't remember the exact circumstances but wasn't McCaw flopping around on the wrong side of the ruck or off his feet or something before it happened? Obviously that doesn't excuse the behaviour and it did look a bit cheap but eventually players get sick of it. How many times was McCaw penalised tonight?

Three times. Sorry but the law book doesn't include kneeing the opposition flankers in the head, or head butting them. McCaw had a great game, once again making vital turn overs and the leadership in the dying minutes to back his team, take the scrum and go for victory was awe-inspiring. Many captains would have limply had the ball kicked to touch and taken the draw.

Higganbotham should be made an example of. It's become a tired ritual to see this desperate Aussie thuggery attempting to bridge the talent deficit.

McCaw had a great game

Oh dear.

AWOP is sounding like a bad loser.

You have to play the ref on the day and New Zealand are normally the masters of it. They'll get and do get plenty of the benefit of the doubt so I don't think any Kiwis will be that upset. They got out of jail afterall.

A tired ritual of desperate Aussie thuggery?! You mean the one other reported case by Kiwi Quade?

As I said, it doesn't excuse the behaviour but when you play on the edge all the time like Richie then you take the good with the bad. I just watched it again and it looked more like a thigh push than a direct knee.

Irrelevant. The head-butt alone should earn him a healthy ban, the fact that it's two incidents within a minute should earn him an even longer sanction, but alas it's unlikely to.

I agree...

It is unlikely to.

http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=36806

Well, phase one complete. He has been cited.

In fact, better than that, he has been cited for both offences.

Kicking, and head-butting.

http://www.rugby365.com/article/50233-wallaby-cited-for-kicking-mccaw

The comments on that article are interesting, with some posters suggesting he will get two weeks for being Australian, whereas a South African would be facing 6. It will be interesting indeed to see how the South African commissioner sees it.

What do you think is fair AWOP? 3 years? Lifetime ban? Public flogging?

Of course it had, NZ were shoddy and didn't get what they wanted, there will be half a dozen dirty looks cited by the NZRU, you know better than anyone what their like...

Full Credit wrote:What do you think is fair AWOP? 3 years? Lifetime ban? Public flogging?

He should be forced to live in a penal colony and wear the uniform of a criminal and perform manual labour in pursuit of some relentlessly hopeless cause...

Yes, I am suggesting nothing short of the Wallaby captaincy.

Joubert was the best ref in the world during the summer AWOP. What's happened? More importantly, what's happend to you?

AWOP drop it Higginbotham DID knee McCaw in the head/face that was probably accidental.The Head to the face was deliberate Joubert saw something and warned both players.In my opinion had he seen a deliberate Head Butt the player would have seen Yellow or Red.He did`nt at worse it will be a one or two match suspension if that.
This was a case where the TMO could and should be used and decide how bad the incident was.
IF the recepient had been any but Ritchie McCaw many fans would be shouting the odds.
Had it occurred to Martin Johnson for example circa 2003 vengeance would have been exacted.

anotherworldofpain wrote:

Full Credit wrote:What do you think is fair AWOP? 3 years? Lifetime ban? Public flogging?

He should be forced to live in a penal colony and wear the uniform of a criminal and

perform manual labour in pursuit of some relentlessly hopeless cause...

Yes, I am suggesting nothing short of the Wallaby captaincy.

This was bloody funny

anotherworldofpain wrote:

He should be forced to live in a penal colony and wear the uniform of a criminal and perform manual labour in pursuit of some relentlessly hopeless cause...

Yes, I am suggesting nothing short of the Wallaby captaincy.

anotherworldofpain wrote:

Full Credit wrote:What do you think is fair AWOP? 3 years? Lifetime ban? Public flogging?

He should be forced to live in a penal colony and wear the uniform of a criminal and perform manual labour in pursuit of some relentlessly hopeless cause...

Yes, I am suggesting nothing short of the Wallaby captaincy.

Oh, I get it now. Quade, Kepu, Harris, and Deans must have all dared to look Sir Richie in the eye at some point or didn't bow low enough when he walked past...that's why they're here.

Forcing an Aussie to captain his country might not be quite the punishment you image though. If you really want to humiliate him, get him to do a stint with the NZ cricket team.

OzT wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:

He should be forced to live in a penal colony and wear the uniform of a criminal and perform manual labour in pursuit of some relentlessly hopeless cause...

Yes, I am suggesting nothing short of the Wallaby captaincy.

And a very special request to all those brave rugby players all over the world. I know he ends up in the way or on the wrong side a lot but can you all pick on one of the other blokes for a change. Ritchie seems to attract all the head, eye etc shots that there's really others around fully prepared to take a shot or two for their captain.

(But don't mention I said this to Rtchie, he'd be ever so embarrassed)

Just watched the video of it. The headbutt was dirty, the knee was more a cynical wind up than an attempt to really hurt him I think. Appropriate for an AWOP post.

Best thing I saw was the following comment under the video...

"These players make me laugh. Punches, knees, eye gouges, head butts geez. Its no secret how to stop McCaw, kryptonite you fu**ing morons."

Or just wait until he retires. he can't play forever.

You'd think so Biltong but I wouldn't like to bet my life on it

Another will just take his place.
Plenty of players coming through at itm, school and age level. We just need to curb the abundance of talent leaking out to under 20 league in Auckland, hopefully part of why GH is there next year.
Mccaw, carter, nonu, c smith, mealamu, hore are six players who will struggle to be best at 2015 wcup and NZ simply doesn't retain players past their use by dates. They need to be replaced sooner rather than later.

aucklandlaurie wrote:

mowgli wrote:AWOP wouldn't be vaguely interested in the knee had Carter not choked and NZ had won

Wow Mowgli I suppose you think your funny with all your anti All Black and New Zealand digs about us Kiwis being chokers, Why dont you just F..k off.

Laurie, you have to remember the position Mowgli is coming from. Three generations of his family have waited with nervous anticipation before 60 years of Wales v All Black games only to have their expectations smashed, the only pleasure they get is vicarious schadenfreude when NZ can only to manage to draw with the #2 side in the world, in an effectively dead rubber after defeating the other top 3 teams in the world home and away to win yet another tournament.. . When you look at it from his perspective, all the bile and bitter resentment makes sense. So it's easy for us to be the bigger people and just let it slide.

But that still doesn't explain why you've changed your opinion on Joubert?

Morgannwg wrote:But that still doesn't explain why you've changed your opinion on Joubert?

Joubert is a good ref, he just had a bad game. The thing that sets him apart is his consistent empathetic breakdown handling. But in this game he allowed Australia a lot of leeway that he denied NZ, and as the game wore on he relaxed his interpretation. His relaxed interpretation happened to coincide with a period where NZ were dominating possession so NZ were not given the same number of penalties that Aus benefited from. Also near the end he let Australia away with deliberate and cynical professional offending. The breakaway from the 22 meter scrum bravely called by McCaw featured four consecutive penalties, all deliberate cynical and professional. Someone should have gone to the bin. But frankly he bottled it, probably not wanted to be accused of "handing NZ the game".

Everyone can have a bad day - even a good referee. He also played knock on advantages far far too short. Normally a team will get at least one and usually two phases. Joubert called advantage over as soon as the ball was released.

Keep repeating it AWOP and it might come true.
I am a real boy...
I am a real boy...

anotherworldofpain wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:But that still doesn't explain why you've changed your opinion on Joubert?

Joubert is a good ref, he just had a bad game. The thing that sets him apart is his consistent empathetic breakdown handling. But in this game he allowed Australia a lot of leeway that he denied NZ, and as the game wore on he relaxed his interpretation. His relaxed interpretation happened to coincide with a period where NZ were dominating possession so NZ were not given the same number of penalties that Aus benefited from. Also near the end he let Australia away with deliberate and cynical professional offending. The breakaway from the 22 meter scrum bravely called by McCaw featured four consecutive penalties, all deliberate cynical and professional. Someone should have gone to the bin. But frankly he bottled it, probably not wanted to be accused of "handing NZ the game".

Everyone can have a bad day - even a good referee. He also played knock on advantages far far too short. Normally a team will get at least one and usually two phases. Joubert called advantage over as soon as the ball was released.

During the world cup he was the best. When appointed to officiate the Final he was poor and has been a croque of turd ever since. But according to you (going back to the last couple of times we have discussed him) he's the best in the world. Now all of a sudden this is not the case? I wonder why. A certain record being halted perhaps? Every week you've changed your arguement when you feel the All Blacks have been on the receiving end. Top class rubbish from you and I expect nothing else.

These discussions are exactly the reason I don't get overly critical of refs...it gets you....nowhere.

Morgannwg, opinions are based in facts and evidence, observation. As I observe new evidence I change m opinions. That is the scientific and rational approach to life. Continuing with inflexible dogma against reason or logic is counter intuitive.

Yeah you're right it is just your opinion. No matter how wrong it may be you still won't see reason. Morg's intelligence is wasted in here.

AWOP is now the right time to drop the whole Hungarian turnip farmer from the steepes of Mongolia who two months ago had the same level of English comprehension as Manuel from faulty towers?

We all know who you are, and posts like this one just prove it more and more!

Please return to us

Higganbotham must be banned from the AIs for the 'two' incidents.

The ABs have had enough of these cheap shots and have finally kicked up a fuss instead of leaving it on the field. Seeing as we have the IRB wrapped around our little finger (tongue in cheek), they'll rain down the pain on these jokers from now on (yeah right).

Personally, I'd like for an AB hard man, if we had any, to sort this out on the field and cop a 10 minute cool down. But thankfully the ABs are above this and show way more discipline and leave it to the officials, which to date, have largely failed them with damp squib suspensions (if at all).

Could you imagine the outcry if ABs went around kneeing, elbowing, gouging, etc, yet all top teams have had a crack at McCaw's head.