Greyling to miss Australia game

Dean Greyling has been banned for 2 weeks. He can't play Australia;ia but could run out against NZ. A poor decision I think. It's pretty unambiguous. He went after a man on the ground and deliberately targeted his head. Meyer has come out and publicly apologized (full credit to him). Here's the point there's no dispute, it's premeditated, it dangerous and yet the punishment is right at the bottom of the range. Your thoughts?

I hope he doesn't play for the Boks again, he is an idiot.

Biltong wrote:I hope he doesn't play for the Boks again, he is an idiot.

There is that. He'll probably have to sleep with Meyers wife to get back in given his mistakes and the number of penalties he gave away. I feel much the same way about Ali Williams at the moment.

An interesting point is that last year or before, Brad Thorn would invariably have dived into Greyling right after. He had a habit of being on hand when there was anything untoward dealt out, and especially against McCaw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9RYZStDdDI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53ygseQDp_o
...and so on...

But this time there was no response from NZ. Do they lack an enforcer?

p.s. still amazes me that Hartley got away with that without being cited! Seems identical to the Greyling incident to me.

It was at Twickers..................

Yes, silly me. Talk about "cloaks of invisibility"...

Is there any chance that we can appeal the judgement and ask for a longer sentence: the longer he is away from the boks the better. Perhaps that's why the sentence was so lenient. He's more punishment to the Boks in the team than out. The only people complaining about his absence will be the Aussies!

It looked hilarious in slow motion. I am not a fan of McCaw but he wasnt doing much just lying there and in comes MMA heavyweight champ Greyling to put in a diving elbow and try and finish the bout, he didnt want it going to the judges. Unfortunatley he forgot what sport he was playing and you cant do that in rugby. Perhaps the best part is that he wasnt obscure about it, he didnt in front of everyone.

Mr Fishpaste wrote:Is there any chance that we can appeal the judgement and ask for a longer sentence: the longer he is away from the boks the better. Perhaps that's why the sentence was so lenient. He's more punishment to the Boks in the team than out. The only people complaining about his absence will be the Aussies!

We should petition a 24 month ban.

Rumour has it that the ban was so lenient because Meyer has imposed a 2 year ban for giving away key penalties letting NZ back into the game right after SA scored.

Seriously though, 2 weeks is a joke of a ban. That act has no place in rugby and deserved much more. It sends the wrong message. It could've ended up being much more serious.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Rumour has it that the ban was so lenient because Meyer has imposed a 2 year ban for giving away key penalties letting NZ back into the game right after SA scored.

No the 2 year ban is because he ran at McCaw and proceeded to use his hands-skill in prosecuting the attack when he was under strict instruction from his coach only to kick!

McCaw is just an absolute gladiator and would have to be one of the toughest roosters playing the game. Boy, he's been the recipient of some head related shenanigans. These are the ones I've seen, there's no doubt more. Is there a more targeted player out there? I doubt it. Hope it doesn't affect his long-term well being.

Cooper (knee head)
Hartley (elbow head)
Powell (clothesline)
Greyling (elbow head)
Ali Williams (head stamp)
Rougerie (gouge)
McLaughlin (gouge)
Heaslip (knee head)
Tuqiri (spear on head)

There's no need for that type of behaviour, anmd i'm surprised he only saw Yellow.

Etzebeth and Greyling should be out for a long time for their behaviour. I know SA have gone out with something to prove this Championship, but that is no way to go about it.

Credit to Meyer for apologising, and credit to McCaw for just getting on with it.

Yeah AlastairW, that was a nice touch from the boks apologising and rarely, if ever, done. They didnt have to and it may not have been an easy thing to do but much credit to them for doing so.

I'd have to say, SA players are some of the most humblest and politest players I've heard speak in radio interviews and in after match speeches. Hard men on the field and gentlemen off it.

I predict before the game that there would be some old-school thuggery from South Africa because to be honest it fits with Meyer's style so far. He is seriously living in the past with his selection and game plan, so it is no surprise to me that we saw this "tactic" being employed. I have no doubt whatever that Greyling was selected and instructed specifically to do the old style Richard Loe intimidating approach. But we see here again how misguided Meyer is to be living in 1980 instead of 2012.

Not only this 2 week ban and losing the game, but as we've seen before with SA illegal strongarm tactics it generates a reputation that is hard to shake. I remember I think it was Bakkies Botha (please correct me if I am wrong) got a yellow card 1 minute into an All Black test essentially on suspicion of having done something. South Africa will need to work hard to shake this reputation again.

I think the suspicion came from the fact it was a clear headbutt.

Was a very good apology I thought. Meyers a very proud type of bloke there's no doubting that. I just question his ability to coach on the international stage. He's not a student of the game, open to ideas, adaptable, worldly. He's got this blueprint that he keeps dragging out and its negative, and that's reflected by the players when things get tough.

Alastair, firstly Etzebeth did not head butt Sharpe. He "bokked" a head butt. There was no contact with sharpe, so whether you want to see that as an offence worthy of a ban, well I simply don't agree with it.

How many times do you see a "booked" swing at someone that is pulled back and nothing is ever said about it.

As far as Greyling is concerned, he should have been banned for a long time.

AWOP

Old school thuggery fits Meyer's style?

If you ever spouted nonsense then that was it right there.

Well as has been said, two weeks is extraordinary given an intentional forearm.

I'm going to give up trying to call these incidents - I've no idea what the citing people are looking at - obviously not the same as me.

Biltong wrote:Alastair, firstly Etzebeth did not head butt Sharpe. He "bokked" a head butt. There was no contact with sharpe, so whether you want to see that as an offence worthy of a ban, well I simply don't agree with it.

How many times do you see a "booked" swing at someone that is pulled back and nothing is ever said about it.

As far as Greyling is concerned, he should have been banned for a long time.

AWOP

Old school thuggery fits Meyer's style?

If you ever spouted nonsense then that was it right there.

I don't know Biltong, I predicted it would happen before the game for exactly that reason. and then it did happen So I'm encouraged to stick with the analysis.

It's not like it wasn't the second week in a row for this kind of thing...and it's not like SA don't have a reputation that goes along with the "intimidation" approach to rugby. So attempting to portray that it's just one guys rush of blood is a bit of a far stretch I'm afraid.

Biltong wrote:Alastair, firstly Etzebeth did not head butt Sharpe. He "bokked" a head butt. There was no contact with sharpe, so whether you want to see that as an offence worthy of a ban, well I simply don't agree with it.

How many times do you see a "booked" swing at someone that is pulled back and nothing is ever said about it.

Not sure what 'bokked' means

If you mean pulling it then i agree. I've seen the mess a nose makes if a headbutt contacts, and unless Sharpe is either a member of the x-men or carved from granite, it was indeed pulled. My main gripe i guess is that there are plenty of full contact sports out there where you can elbow and wot-not to you hearts contect, but in a Rugby context even pulling a headbutt is not really on.

I honestly don't wish ill too any of the players involved, in fact i'd probabley be more critical if an England player did it. I hope Etzebeth comes back and plays hard to the point where he knows the line between playing intimidatingly hard, rather than just trying to intimidate through such displays.