Nathan White latest face stomping Villain

With yet another incident of use of the boot to the head, steps must be taken to eradicate this foul play from the game.

Two suggestions might be to bring NH interpretation in line with that in the South which is not penalise players falling over the ball immediately, rather than allow the ruck to continue as it seems to in the NH.

The other suggestion by today's commentators is to return rucking to the game such that players learn the art of "correct" rucking.

Either way something must be done because reckless rucking

(A) is a danger to player well being
(B) games where a player is red carded spoil the match as a spectacle.

To be honest I have a certain amount of sympathy for both Evans and white's frustration as both "victims" in the last 24 hours were acting illegally and being a game slowing nuisance. However I don't condone stamping or foul play. Refs, step up is my opinion.

Fair enough, cheers!

You do not have to step to avoid players laying on the wrong side. You may walk over them as long as you're moving forward not up and down. So pretty much like rucking.

These players are only penalised because rather then walking forward they decided to stamp directly up and down, on races or heads, which was still illegal when rucking was about.

In the SH we do not have such rampant incidences of stamping - this is because players are not allowed to lie all over the ball. The NH has been lax in policing the breakdown properly and allow this ball killing. Now players are getting frustrated with the rampant ball killing and taking the law into their own hands.

Simply "walking" over a player does not free the ball which more often than not is being played by the illegally lying player.

Craig Joubert did no favours to rugby when he switched his interpretation to pander to Nh sides at home.

This situation MUST be cleaned up, either by correctly penalising the breakdown (you too mr Joubert) or allowing rucking back into the game.

Tend to disagree with you GE. James Horwell blatantly stamped on Alun Wynn Jones head in the first Lions test during the summer. This stamp went unsanctioned both during the game and by the citing comissioner afterwards yet both White and Evans received on field sanctions and probably will receive bans. If anything this indicates a softer approach to stamping in the SH, no?

All Craig Joubert did by contrast to Chris Pollock was allow the Lions compete at the breakdown whereas Pollock penalised any attempt to pilfer the ball at the ruck. think you are getting things backwards.

GunsGerms wrote:Tend to disagree with you GE. James Horwell blatantly stamped on Alun Wynn Jones head in the first Lions test during the summer. This stamp went unsanctioned both during the game and by the citing comissioner afterwards yet both White and Evans received on field sanctions and probably will receive bans. If anything this indicates a softer approach to stamping in the SH, no?

All Craig Joubert did by contrast to Chris Pollock was allow the Lions compete at the breakdown whereas Pollock penalised any attempt to pilfer the ball at the ruck. think you are getting things backwards.

+1

Joubert allowed players to compete ILLLEGALLY for the ball. Is what you're missing. Player should be on their feet, if they were they wouldn't get stamped on.

Horwell couldn't see what he was doing and being from the SH probably presumed their wasn't anyone lying on the wrong side as if there were he'd surely have been penalised. He was cited and exonerated, no further case to niggle at.

If the nh rugby cleaned up the illegal ball flopping, bridging and offside ruck entry there might be a possibility that some decent rugby might eventuate. As it is, just slow ball and stamping yellow cards are ruining the game as a spectacle. I say the IRB must act.

Realistically when there is a maul formed no one can see what they are doing on the ground. You would have to be a real airhead to think that Horwell and Evans didnt know what they were doing though in my opinion.

All the same things you highlight happen in the SH too. You can add rucking ahead of the ruck and taking out players before they have a chance to enter the ruck in the SH too.

Joubert allowed players ruck when they were on their feet, Pollock didnt even when they were on their feet. it was immensly frustrating to watch.

Looks like he's been let off anyways

GloriousEmpire wrote:Looks like he's been let off anyways

How do you know? Cant see anything on this.

Ah, there were a series of tweets. Looks like they were hoaxy.

White got a three week ban. Presumably he got a reduced ban because he is a Kiwi and claimed it was an accident.

I'd say that the multiple stamps on McCarthy's face splitting open his face was 3-4 times more dangerous that the contact made by White.

And just to note, White wouldn't be my favourite player in the world (quite the opposite).