O'Callaghan banned for kick

I do not know if this has been covered, I cannot find anything here about it, but Munster and Ireland second row Donncha O'Callaghan has been banned for two weeks for kicking Stuart Olding. This is the first I have heard of this, it now means he will miss Munsters two European games, was this a cowardly act, why would he kick somebody ?

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3825_9590497,00.html

Judge for yourself;

http://balls.ie/rugby/45609-donnacha-ocallaghan-cited-for-kicking-stuart-olding/

And it was unlikely he would have made Munster's squad for the Clermont game.

LordDowlais wrote:I do not know if this has been covered, I cannot find anything here about it, but Munster and Ireland second row Donncha O'Callaghan has been banned for two weeks for kicking Stuart Olding. This is the first I have heard of this, it now means he will miss Munsters two European games, was this a cowardly act, why would he kick somebody ?

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3825_9590497,00.html

Citing Committee wrote:“In determining sanction, the disciplinary committee’s view was that the player’s actions had been reckless, that the primary contact with the opponent had been on his shoulder and chest area, and that in terms of seriousness the player’s actions were at the lower end of World Rugby’s sanctions for foul play, which carries a 4 week entry-point suspension.

DOC's first citing in 17 seasons of rugby. 259 Munster games, 98 international caps (including 4 for the Lions).

LordDowlais wrote:I do not know if this has been covered, I cannot find anything here about it, but Munster and Ireland second row Donncha O'Callaghan has been banned for two weeks for kicking Stuart Olding. This is the first I have heard of this, it now means he will miss Munsters two European games, was this a cowardly act, why would he kick somebody ?

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3825_9590497,00.html

Did you actually read the article?

Sin é wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I do not know if this has been covered, I cannot find anything here about it, but Munster and Ireland second row Donncha O'Callaghan has been banned for two weeks for kicking Stuart Olding. This is the first I have heard of this, it now means he will miss Munsters two European games, was this a cowardly act, why would he kick somebody ?

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3825_9590497,00.html

Citing Committee wrote:“In determining sanction, the disciplinary committee’s view was that the player’s actions had been reckless, that the primary contact with the opponent had been on his shoulder and chest area, and that in terms of seriousness the player’s actions were at the lower end of World Rugby’s sanctions for foul play, which carries a 4 week entry-point suspension.

DOC's first citing in 17 seasons of rugby. 259 Munster games, 98 international caps (including 4 for the Lions).

That must be some kind of record for a second row??? Surely all his lock pals snub him for it though...

DOC downed before D-Day Euro games???

Hmmmm, suspicious..............

Conspiracy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Second time lately Olding has gotten kicked in the head. He is either very unlucky or his hair colour is confusing the opposition.

DOC is so clumsy it was probably an accident.

DOC will Arise again. The Force is with Him. Coming to a cinema in late 2015

Seemed semi-accidental to me. Wouldn't make a big deal of it, O'Callaghan is a bit of a niggly player (he likes to get under his opponents skin!) but he's definitely not a dirty player at all.

HammerofThunor wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I do not know if this has been covered, I cannot find anything here about it, but Munster and Ireland second row Donncha O'Callaghan has been banned for two weeks for kicking Stuart Olding. This is the first I have heard of this, it now means he will miss Munsters two European games, was this a cowardly act, why would he kick somebody ?

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3825_9590497,00.html

Did you actually read the article?

Yes why ? What is the problem ?

profitius wrote:Second time lately Olding has gotten kicked in the head. He is either very unlucky or his hair colour is confusing the opposition.

Bad idea having 'Gilbert' tattoed on his head?

LordDowlais wrote:

HammerofThunor wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I do not know if this has been covered, I cannot find anything here about it, but Munster and Ireland second row Donncha O'Callaghan has been banned for two weeks for kicking Stuart Olding. This is the first I have heard of this, it now means he will miss Munsters two European games, was this a cowardly act, why would he kick somebody ?

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3825_9590497,00.html

Did you actually read the article?

Yes why ? What is the problem ?

You asked if it was a cowardly act and why would he kick someone. The article you quoted clearly stated it was a reckless but unintential act. Therefore neither was it cowardly or did he actual kick anyone. Since the answers to your question were so clearly available in the article, I thought you might not have read it.

I asked those questions, because that was the first I had heard of it.

And it was answered in the article you quoted, which is why I asked if you had read it.

HammerofThunor wrote:And it was answered in the article you quoted, which is why I asked if you had read it.

ok.

Seems there is a trend developing now where the Citing Commission are banning players for accidents: Payne on Goode; O'Connor on Bennett; Taofifenua on Olding; and now DOC on Olding. I still can't see how the game can be policed by banning players when accidents happen.

OTOH incidents like Arhip stamping on Bowe the other week are ignored by the CC?

The only logical conclusion is that the whole process is an exercise in political correctness. It's only when a player gets very visibly injured on camera that the Commission feels it has to act. Every concussion bin will be scrutinised to cover the authorities backsides - they have to be SEEN to be doing something.

So LD the reason why this hasn't been mentioned by rugby fans is that it was an accident that every player who has played the game has always faced. It is the Citing Commission who are looking for the headlines to keep themselves at as big a distance from the reality of the game as they can.

Did Ulster cite O'Callaghan or was it an independent citing?

It's time the IRB sorted this carry on of players kicking the ball out of the ruck anyhow.

Thediscpline panels (presumably under IRB recomendations) have 3 classifications of incident:

1) Deliberate - a player kicks someone in the head because they were aiming for their head

2) Reckless - a player kicks someone in the head because they we're lashing out with their boot in a ruck

3) Accidental - a player kicks someone in the head because they went for the ball but someone jumped in their way (to get the ball)

You get a ban for 1 and 2 but not 3. The two questions are:
When is something deliberate? Usually this is when they're looking straight at them and carry on, or there was no way something could have happened unintentionally.

What is 'reckless' and what is just part of normal play? This seems to be the one that shifts all over the place. The IRB dictate what things are considered part of the game and what things aren't.

To be honest, and I can rightly be accused of bias in this of course, but to me the DOC incident was simply a case of a ruck forming. O'Callaghan joining the ruck and Olding being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The whole thing took about 3 seconds to play out and it's hard to see how DOC could have done anything differently except stay out of the ruck altogether.

I don't think there was any malice or reckless intent on DOC's part but in a game where players often end up on the ground surrounded by multiple thundering boots people are going to be on the receiving end of a misplaced boot on occasion.

It's time the IRB sorted this carry on of players kicking the ball out of the ruck anyhow.

I'd be interested in you expanding on that Rodders.

MunsterMac wrote:To be honest, and I can rightly be accused of bias in this of course, but to me the DOC incident was simply a case of a ruck forming. O'Callaghan joining the ruck and Olding being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The whole thing took about 3 seconds to play out and it's hard to see how DOC could have done anything differently except stay out of the ruck altogether.

I don't think there was any malice or reckless intent on DOC's part but in a game where players often end up on the ground surrounded by multiple thundering boots people are going to be on the receiving end of a misplaced boot on occasion.

Yeah, I have to agree. There really wasn't very much in it. I'm not sure if the referee had seen it in real time it would have even been a yellow card.

I have just seen a video of it, it looks like two bits of nothing to me. A mountian out of a mole hill if you like.

LordDowlais wrote:I have just seen a video of it, it looks like two bits of nothing to me. A mountian out of a mole hill if you like.

And that's coming from the man who's making the mountain!

As I have said earlier, this is the first I heard of it, so I just wanted to know what went on.

I saw the video - he is reckless in kicking out. 2 week ban seems fine to me. Not a deliberate kick at the head but reckless.

Everyone sees what they want to see to an extent I suppose.

MunsterMac wrote:

It's time the IRB sorted this carry on of players kicking the ball out of the ruck anyhow.

I'd be interested in you expanding on that Rodders.

I think there is a grey area where the ball is placed, the ruck is formed/forming and players are kicking through to dislodge the ball from the ruck, which is being exploited a lot recently, particularly from Irish sides.

For me the defender should need to step over the player on the ground, through the gate, before striking at the ball with their feet. If Olding hadn't been between the ball and O'Callaghan there would be no risk of O'Callaghan connecting with him in process of kicking the ball - reckless or not.

We are also seeing players kick around the ruck, rather than through it which to me should be offside as well, which brings the boots closer to the players extremties, including the head - if the IRB don't stamp down on this (no pun intended) we are going to see more incidents like this.

Stepping over a player on the ground has its own risks - especially when there are a crowd of them and you can't see where your feet are landing. Rucks are dangerous places anyway, regardless of if someone is striking for balls........................ which of course is a red card offence.............

Outside of player safety of course my main concern is that the breakdown remains a place where both sides can legally and safely contest possession of the ball.

I don't see any problem with a player kicking the ball on the ground as long as he is onside and not endangering anyone.

I find it mildly irritating when sometimes a referee makes what seems to be an arbitrary decision to forbid a player from contesting the ball for no apparent good reason when that player seems to be perfectly entitled to do so.

The breakdown must be a (safe) contest.