Crusaders lock Hamish Dalzell has been suspended for three weeks for a high tackle on Waratahs flanker Michael Hooper last Saturday night.
The Sanzaar foul play review committee accepted a guilty plea from Dalzell, who was red carded in the 67th minute and had to watch from the sideline as the depleted Crusaders – who also had loose forward Pablo Matera yellow carded soon after Dalzell departed – suffered a shock 24-21 loss to the Waratahs in their Super Rugby Pacific match in Sydney.
Dalzell was ruled to have contravened law 9.13 which states a player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dalzell will be suspended from all forms of the game for three weeks, up to and including 20 May 2022.
Michael Heron QC (Chair), Stefan Terblanche and John Langford assessed the case for Sanzaar.
The committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid-range entry point of 6 weeks due to the World Rugby instructions that dictate any incident of foul play involving contact with the head must start at a mid-range level.
“Taking into account mitigating factors including the player’s clean judicial record, his acceptance of foul play and his expressed remorse, the foul play review committee reduced the suspension to 3 weeks,” Heron said.
Any player who has a citing or red card upheld by a disciplinary panel for foul play involving the “head contact process’’ may apply to have the final week of their sanction substituted by undertaking a coaching intervention that specifically addresses the technical tackle/contact technique-error that caused or contributed to the foul play.
This intervention would be overseen by the World Rugby coaching intervention expert review panel – a panel of expert independent coaches – and is only be available to first time offenders.
With the Waratahs deep on attack inside the Crusaders quarter, Dalzell flew into Hooper as he peeled off the back of a lineout, leading to a head clash.
The suspension of Dalzell further erodes the Crusaders’ locking stocks, with Mitchell Dunshea, Quinten Strange and Zach Gallagher unavailable for the Waratahs match because of injury.
Captain Scott Barrett was also unavailable because he was serving a four-week suspension for a high tackle on Blues prop Alex Hodgman on April 15.
Barrett will be available to play the Brumbies on May 13 because the “head contact process coaching intervention’’ has been completed. This means he will only have to miss three games.
“Dalzy’s tackle technique needs to get better, I know that. He’s a big man [2.01m] but he could have done better around it,’’ Robertson said.
Dalzell replaced Gallagher at late notice, after it was declared the latter had not recovered from a shoulder injury.
The Crusaders’ next opponent is the Western Force in Perth on Saturday night.
While Whitelock is expected to be available, fellow lock Dominic Gardiner, who started alongside the All Blacks veteran in Sydney, may be in doubt. Gardiner must pass a head injury assessment to play in Perth.
It is hoped Gallagher will be fit, with Antonio Shalfoon, who has yet to represent the Crusaders, a candidate to provide cover if Gardiner doesn’t recover.
Meanwhile, the Sanzaar judicial committee supsended the Melbourne Rebels’ Ray Nu’u for four weeks for a dangerous tackle against Moana Pasifika in Melbourne on Saturday.
Nu’u was found guilty of contravening law 9.13. Nu’u has been suspended for 4 weeks, up to and including 29 May 2022.
