Law Discussion: Dangerous acts

Does the dangerous play occur only in open play? Is it dealt with only if the victim in injured? Surely neither of those can be correct, not if we believe that the Laws of the Game apply equally to all, but then watch three incidents in the match between Perpignan and Munster.

two of them concern the tip tackle/spear tackle which has lately greatly concerned the rugby world when Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu combined to upend Brian O'Driscoll in a tackle/ruck on the Lions tour of 2005, thus injuring him and ending his tour.

The anger in the Four Home Unions was immense and rugby generally became more aware of the top/spear tackle. Usually it is penalised, often it evokes a further sanction. But usually it occurs in open play. But in Perpignan there were two cases more like the original O'Driscoll affair, except that neither player this roughly treated was injured.

In the first instance Tomas O'Leary of Munster broke brilliantly till David Mélé tackled him from behind. Tackle/rucks/phases happened till Paul O'Connell ploughs ahead and is brought down. Jérôme Schuster of Perpignan, on his feet, is attendant on him. In comes Lifeimi Mafi - from the side, by the way - and grabs Schuster. Mafi upends the prop so that his ;legs are in the air, his head facing down. The ball comes out and Mafi then dives on it - diving on an emerging ball - and another tackle/ruck ensues Mafi is then penalised - for holding on, not for the other three infringements.

The second incident is worse than the first.

Tomas O'Leary tackles David Mélé and a tackle/ruck ensures. Attendant on it is Yoann Vivalda of Perpignan. Mafi and Alan Quinlan arrive. Each of them grabs a thigh and they lift Vivaldi off the ground, turn him upside down so that he is perpendicular to the ground and drops head-first to ground.

Neither of these dangerous tackles is penalised. Neither is cited. There was no post-match upset. Was this because Schuster and Vivaldi lack the profile of an O'Driscoll? Is it because Schuster and Vivaldi were not injured? Is it because it was not in open play.

When South Africa played the Lions, Bakkies Botha drove in on Adam Jones at a tackle/ruck and Jones was injured. Botha was cited and suspended.

In the first incident above, when Mafi is lying on the ground and before he was penalised, Ronan O'Gara charged in and went shoulder-first into Marius Tincu, the Perpignan hooker.

That was not penalised. Again one asks the questions: Is it because Tincu was not injured? Is it because O'Gara is not as big and strong as Botha? Is it because O'Gara does not have Botha's reputation?

Surely it is the offence and not the outcome of the offence that needs to be dealt with or do we wait for an injury before we act?  Prevention may be better than cure. After all injuries are possible in innocent circumstances. The laws require referees - and those officials attendant on matches - to act against infringements. 

It is also clear that all players would have equal treatment before the law. There are not players of a lesser breed.

The first incident happened around 19 minutes, the second around 43 minutes.