Cooper Vuna cleared for final Sydney Test

Cooper Vuna cleared for final Sydney Test


Australia wing Cooper Vuna is available for Saturday's final Test in Sydney despite being found guilty of a dangerous tackle on Leigh Halfpenny.

The 24-year-old wing was sin-binned in the 59th minute of the second Test for challenging the Wales full-back in mid-air as Halfpenny leapt for a high kick.

Australia were reduced to 14 men and Halfpenny subsequently kicked the 40-yard penalty but Wales lost the game.

Vuna was later cited by the match commissioner for a "dangerous tackle."

But at a disciplinary hearing in Sydney, judicial officer Bruce Squire QC concluded there were "significant and compelling mitigating factors, including a lack of intent on Vuna's behalf, which did not warrant a suspension being imposed for the offence."

Vuna was cited on Saturday under Law 10.4(e) "dangerous tackling", and 10.4(i) "tackling the jumper in the air" but will be available for selection in the third Test in Syndey.

"There's a question whether it should have been a red card," said Wales' caretaker head coach Rob Howley after their Melbourne defeat. "But it was a yellow at least."

A yellow card was correct. It was stupid and it was dangerous but there was no intent.

formerly known as Sam wrote:A yellow card was correct. It was stupid and it was dangerous but there was no intent.

He took a player out in the air - what did he 'intend' to happen ? What good could have come out of it ?

I know this will soon decend into a slanging match but for me that was far more red that a lot of these spear tackles.

He wasn't even going for the ball.

Worth a yellow.
Worth having a look at in closer detail with a citing.
Not a red card.
Well handled.

It reminded me of Ronan O'Gara against the Springboks in 2009 for the Lions in the 2nd Test.

Like you said munkian what did he expect to happen, when you seen how he did land he was very lucky indeed.

Having seen it several times, i think that he can consider himself very lucky to be honest. Intent or not, he took a player out in the air in a dangerous manner. Could easily have been banned.

I thought Dan Lydiates shoulder charge onto Pococks head was a worse challenge personally. I dont like this style of rucking. Donnacha Ryan and Donnacha O'Callaghan are lads that I see doing this a fair bit too.

+1 Stag

I thought that Lydiate was a very lucky man not to see yellow for that as well.

Fully agree stag, when you watch that back it does look like he was very lucky indeed DOC does it a lot, wasn't it one of these incidents that led to Bradley Davies get red for retaliating?

It was Donnacha Ryan who did that leading up to the Bradley Davies incident but O'Callaghan has been doing it his whole career. In that Ireland v Wales game had W.Barnes given a quick penalty against Ryan and told him off the whole Bradley Davies red card thing could have been avoided. Game management!!

Yeah thought it was that sort of incident, Davies shouldn't have retaliated but well hes not the first and won't be the last.

It was a tackle like that that took A Jones out of the Lions series in SA and years back Olivier Merle took Ricky Evans out and broke his leg

I actually though Vuna was a bit unlucky, wreckless but no intent for me and good decions all round with the yellow and no ban. Ref had a stern word with Lydiate and I think that was a mature decision all round. Both sides were going in ferociously

But Ruby see this is what I don't get:

- Vuna: reckless, no intent to cause harm, takes player out in the air, dangerous = Yellow card = Good decision

- Lydiate: reckless, no intent to cause harm, shoulders another player in the head, dangerous = Just a Penalty = Good decision

Doesn't add up for me. Both were yellow cards and I think possibly both merited a citing although they I think a yellow for each incident would have been best.

Didn't Bakkies Botha get a ban for the shoulder into the head area on the last Lions Tour?

I see your point Stag - I mention both sets of players were going in hard at the rucks and I think that the ref wanted Lydiate to use his arms and said as much. I might be splitting hairs here but I think the Lydiate decision is less clear cut and more open to interpretation from the ref.

Sam - he did though I suspect that was because he injured the player in doing so. Its a huge grey area it seems as you say Ruby left up to the ref.

Wont matter, can't see Vuna being picked again now that Beale is available again.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Didn't Bakkies Botha get a ban for the shoulder into the head area on the last Lions Tour?

yeah it was him that took Adam Jones out of the remaining test. The Boks wore the justice 4 Bakkies arm bands didn't they?

Personally I would have though it would have been a ban. Warburton got banned, as has Tipuric for lesser tackles. I think that the only defence he could have is that he grabbed at 1/2p foot as he was going down in an attempt to reduce the impact, even though it tipped him head first.

I think playing against George is a better punishment than banning him. I've heard George loves Vuna Mayo sandwiches by the bucketload - Feast yourself George, feast yourself, easy boy

I'm surprised Vuna made it into the Aussie squad with his defence for the Rebels and idiotic tackling. Serious point.

KickAndChase wrote:I'm surprised Vuna made it into the Aussie squad with his defence for the Rebels and idiotic tackling. Serious point.

It was a case of "last winger standing"

Have you guys noticed hw disciplined and squeeky clean the Saffers have been?

Apart from Alberts doing his best to remove Ben Youngs head you mean Biltong.

He never got to his head mate, he scragged hs collar with one hand and the other was round his leg.