Experienced All Blacks Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith have hinted at their frustration at Quinn Tupaea’s serious knee injury at the hands of Wallaby Darcy Swain in Melbourne, with Barrett saying the midfielder was a "sitting duck" when he was targeted in a ruck.
Replacement lock Swain was yellow carded for the ugly act during the All Blacks’ dramatic 39-37 victory at Marvel Stadium on Thursday, a sanction that appeared light given the circumstances and the horror injury suffered by Tupaea – a ruptured MCL and partially torn ACL which will sideline him for at least three months.
After the match All Blacks coach Ian Foster said he wasn’t sure whether Tupaea’s left knee would require surgery.
Swain, cited for the incident and sent off for headbutting in the Test series against England in June, was due to face a judicial hearing today.
All Blacks hint at their frustration at the Darcy Swain ruck incident in Melbourne which will sideline midfielder Tupaea for at least three months. (Source: 1News)
It is understood that the All Blacks have seen added footage of the incident not broadcast during the Test which is potentially even more damning.
Asked this afternoon ahead of the Bledisloe Cup Test at Eden Park on Saturday whether the players had a view of the incident, Barrett replied: “We do.
"I feel for Quinn. He basically didn’t see it coming and was a sitting duck. It was basically a free shot. I feel for him because he’s going to be out of the game for a long period of time. I’m not too sure what is happening with their camp and Darcy Swain. Of course I feel for him. We don’t like to see these sorts of injuries."
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Halfback Smith, clearly also constrained by what he could say ahead of Swain’s hearing, added: "To see Quinn like that on Friday was pretty tough… injuries happen in rugby, but some can be controlled."
The All Blacks will be privately seething at Swain’s actions, which were defended afterwards by Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.
Swain came in illegally from the side of a ruck just before halftime and attempted to clean out Tupaea, who was bridging over the ball, by grabbing his left leg and driving his shoulder into the defenceless All Black's knee, forcing it inwards.
The All Blacks will feel that not only did it break rugby’s code of fair play but that of professional athletes; that it was an act that could have ended Tupaea’s career. As it is the Chiefs player faces a long and difficult rehabilitation.
Tupaea's injury will result in a major reshuffle for the All Blacks as he was on the field as a replacement for David Havili, who left it with a head injury and won't be available for the Test at Eden Park.
Jordie Barrett, the All Blacks' late try-scoring hero at Marvel Stadium, appears set for a start in the No.12 jersey with brother Beauden starting at fullback and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck potentially on the reserves bench.
The other incident dominating the headlines following a controversial Bledisloe classic is the decision by referee Mathieu Raynal to sanction Wallabies first-five Bernard Foley for time wasting at the end; changing an Australia penalty to an All Blacks free-kick, from which they eventually scored the match-winning try, after Foley ignored or didn’t hear Raynal’s pleas to play on.
Jordie Barrett’s try in the right corner effectively locked up the Bledisloe Cup for another year – the 20th on the trot – which, after the Swain incident, may help provide an added edge at Eden Park where the Wallabies haven’t beaten the All Blacks since 1986.
“You’re always aware of the referee – they’re the ones in charge so yes, you play the game a little bit and wait for that warning if you try to run down the clock before you kick the ball out or play on, whatever it is,” Beauden Barrett said. “Of course, if we’re the ones with the ball and the ref asks us to get on with it we do.”
Asked whether he hoped such time-wasting tactics may be ruled more harshly from now on, Barrett said: “I think as a fan you don’t want stoppages - you want to see a free-flowing game and certainly to play it, I think fitter players should be rewarded by less stoppages and keeping the ball in play.
"It’s basically a better product of rugby so yeah that suits me and it suits New Zealand rugby for sure so hopefully we’re trending in the right direction.”
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