All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is upset with the "cheap shot" aimed at captain Richie McCaw in Saturday's 18-18 draw with Australia.
McCaw was involved in an incident with Wallabies flank Scott Higginbotham, who has been cited for illegally targeting McCaw's head.
Higginbotham appears before a a SANZAR judicial hearing on Sunday after being charged with kneeing McCaw in the head and then shortly afterwards headbutting him as a scuffle broke out in the 26th minute of the match.
His hearing will be held by SANZAR's South African judicial officer Jannie Lubbe.
Hansen revealed his frustration that McCaw was once again the victim of an alleged act of foul play and criticised the lack of protection his skipper was receiving from match officials.
"I saw the head-butt - it's another cheap shot," Hansen said.
"He seems to get them every week but everyone seems to miss them."
The All Blacks flanker was involved a similar offence during the Rugby Championship, when Springboks prop Dean Greyling was banned for two weeks for a forearm smash to his face.
McCaw said he expects the the judicial process to deal with the situation.
"It's on TV so it will get dealt with," he explained.
"It does get frustrating at times and annoying but there's not much I can do about it."
Hansen also expressed his disappointed with his side's an error-ridden display which blew their chances of a record-breaking run of Test victories.
"It was probably one of the ugliest games of rugby I've seen," he said.
"We're really, really disappointed, too many avoidable penalties, too many avoidable mistakes.
"But to play as poorly as we did and still manage to show the character and tenacity to get the draw was pleasing.
"It's not the end of the world but there's enough pain and hurt in the dressing room to make sure we learn the lessons from it."
Comments
blindmice says...
Without throwing petrol on the fire, persistent offenders also get dealt with on the park. RM was consistently laying in and around the ball and slowing it down, evidenced by the YC for repeated offences at the ruck. Unfortunately for the AB player that went to the bin, he just offended at the wrong time and it could easily have been Sir Ritchie spending a few moments on the sideline. RM is a master of the dark arts on the ground, no question. He creates frustration amongst opposition players that will obviously boilover eventually if he is on the wrong side of the ledger and causes the breakdown to become a mess. Dont get me wrong, SH deserves whatever is coming, the longer the better as there is no place for cheap shots and headbutts.
Sir Ritchie and Hansen for that matter, are going to have to have to accept that when playing with matches sometimes gets your fingers burnt. Hansen had no trouble with the treatment that Toxic Cooper was dished out at RWC. Time for him to pull back on the same old "don't touch my boy" attitude when things like this happen. RM is man enough about it, time for Hansen to be the same and not cry to the papers every time this happens. What will have he have to moan about once RM goes on his sabbatical......
Posted 06:10 21st October 2012
cuw3100 says...
@ Toulousain: '...rather than the (probably accidental and in any event inconsequential) knee to the head.... "
seriously???
why dont u get someone 6 foot + 200 pound guy to knee u on ur head and see if it is "INCONSEQUENTIAL" .
what do u think - this is UFC ???
no one on a rugby field shud come under such attacks, whether it is McCaw or an under 15 schoolboy. play hard but play fair; not knee someone on his back. chicken
Posted 04:26 21st October 2012
jonesy2 says...
if greyling got 2 weeks for his scumbag act then weirdly higginbotham will be rewarded somehow wouldnt he? greylings was a 15 -20 week offence, higginbothams is probably a 2 or 3 week offence therefore the SANZAR owe him about 17 weeks of double payment or something judging on how they punished greyling
Posted 03:58 21st October 2012
BDAUSSIE says...
Once again making a mountain out of a mole hill. it was deliberate niggling but there was cleary no attempt to actually take out mccaw / harm mccaw (ala Greyling elbow)
new zealand just trying to deflect attention from the fact they couldnt beat a 2nd string wallabies outfit
Posted 02:22 21st October 2012
Ramage says...
This was a cheap and nasty shot. First the willful, Toulousain, not accidental kneeing by walking into McCaw. Then the head butt on him. It will be interesting to see what happens, and I bet there will be a few interested South African fans who saw their own player cited and punished for the head butt on Sharpe. I await the judicial decision with interest as these acts need to be stamped out.
As a parting comment Toulousain McCaw can not control what the press write just as he can't stop you bitter and sour comments about him. Neither can he stop your whitewash of the foul acts committed on him. Open your eyes, if it is all possible, and you might overcome your sad bitterness about a skillful player and see what is happening. Yes we can talk about the rugby but when a foul act is committed should we ignore it? How the press write about it is more a comment about modern journalism than Richie McCaw. We are becoming used to the sensational headline put in by a less than intelligent sub editor that bears no relation to the article below it. The journalistic licence taken by reporters who have their own slant on the game that you or I would wonder was the same game we were watching. However this is not McCaw's fault. If you have a problem take it up with the editor of the paper rather than hurl it into a post about the foul act committed. Of course you don't believe it was a foul act and McCaw just loves bashing his head against Australian players' legs or pushing as much of his head into French mouths as he can and making sure he deliberately bangs his head against South African forearms. Its really time that he is cited for these acts.
Posted 01:11 21st October 2012
Trader2 says...
Toulousain says "the press always wanting to create a narrative" well hello, isn't that what the press does, they create the narrative to sell their stories. As for the knee to the head of RM and the subsequent head-butt that you have omitted from your "narrative", well sorry but that is part of the story, part of the game, part of the rugby. And your reasoning on the "probably accidental and in any event inconsequential", well this was no accident which is very plain to see. and your narrative suggests that because it was "inconsequential" and no serious damage done then it was okay. It¿s like saying if you attempt to murder someone but fail then that is okay, only if you succeed will you be in trouble. Imagine the "pantomime" if RM had of targeted an opposing players head.
On the injury time scrum (yes that's part of the rugby too, well picked up) I am not sure what the big deal is, as the captain of a team striving for a world record number of wins why would you do anything else but take the scrum. A no brainer really, I am not sure why it needs special attention.
Posted 00:59 21st October 2012
Hobbithunter says...
While it was cheap and not condoned, goldenboy Richie has had the rub of green from refs for years with his borderline/illegal tactics. It doesn't excuse Higginbotham but the hysteria that is created in NZ every time someone even ruffles Richie's hair is completely over the top. This is always intensified when NZ look vulnerable - so is what the real issue?
Posted 23:56 20th October 2012
Spartacus says...
Hansen has to be taking the p*ss? McCaw is the absolute master at getting away with play which is technically illegal. If he gets illegal play against him as a result then he should not be complaining as it takes one (cheat) to know one. #whingeingkiwis!
Posted 23:42 20th October 2012
Trinats2 says...
"It does get frustrating at times and annoying but there's not much I can do about it."
Yes there is Richie, stay on side and stop the cheating. If you weren't off side and gave away that penalty "another cheap shot" would never have happened.
Wonder why "He seems to get them every week" Mr Hansen ????
Not condoning what Higgers did in away way, it was a low blow and should get 3+ months..
Posted 23:30 20th October 2012
rugby_phile says...
Another Cooper wannabe? He'll "get sorted", no doubt. What a pathetic low life, detracting from his team's otherwise gutsy performance.
Posted 21:53 20th October 2012
Toulousain says...
@golden_statenba, if you are out there, see what I mean about the press always wanting to create a narrative?
"there was a villainous act, but fear not, the AB player dug deep into his resources to rise above it"
other than that, what can we say? the rugby was excellent if somewhat error-strewn. the ref was about the best i have seen. a draw seemed a fair result. but boy, why not talk about mccaw's decision to take the scrum on 82 minutes and walk up the field, rather than the (probably accidental and in any event inconsequential) knee to the head....
or is it that most website "hits" are created by pantomime, and there aren't enough people who just want to hear about the rugby itself?
oh well, c'est la vie :-)
Posted 21:44 20th October 2012
tweedledee49 says...
Players like Scott get sorted, he will get his beans lol
Posted 21:30 20th October 2012