The International Rugby Board (IRB) is to launch a crackdown on spear-tackling with offenders facing the prospect of a six-month ban.
Its announcement on Monday came as new video footage was released of the incident that left British and Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll with a dislocated shoulder barely a minute into June’s first Test against New Zealand after he was tackled by All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu and skipper Tana Umaga.
The amateur video, broadcast by British satellite broadcaster Sky, showed how it was Mealamu who initiated the incident which ended O’Driscoll’s tour and left him sidelined from rugby for at least five months.
Shot from the opposite side of the ground to the TV pictures, the footage showed Ireland centre O’Driscoll being lifted up by Mealamu and then dropped head first on to the ground.
The video was sent to the IRB six weeks ago following a tour where the Lions were conclusively beaten 3-0.
IRB head of communications Greg Thomas told Tuesday’s edition of The Guardian newspaper: ”The new footage shows that it was an unacceptably dangerous tackle and we are instructing referees to deal with this type of offence appropriately.
”The laws do not make any mention of spear-tackling and there is a moratorium on law changes until after the 2007 World Cup but there is provision in the rules for players who commit this type of offence.
”Our instruction is that it is a dangerous tackle and anyone found guilty of it should be dealt with at the higher end of the tariff — that is to say they should be suspended for three to six months.”
However, Umaga and Mealamu will not face restropective punishment after South African match commissioner William Venter took no action against the pair following their citing by the Lions in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
”The Lions agreed to a 12-hour citing period and there was no opportunity to gather any further evidence,” Thomas explained.
The Dublin-based IRB is to hold a seminar for referees next month in the Irish capital, with international coaches invited to attend the first session where Australia’s Eddie Jones will deliver a paper on the tackle area.
O’Driscoll’s father Frank, a medical doctor, told The Guardian: ”I have seen the new footage and I have spoken to Brian. We do not want to make any comment about it yet but I agree totally with the IRB that players who commit spear-tackles in the future should be given long suspensions.”
The video was made public just days before the All Blacks arrive in Wales on Friday for the start of a British Isles tour where they will try to become the first New Zealand side since 1978 to complete the Grand Slam — beating England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales on the one trip.
Meanwhile in the latest extract from his tour diary, being serialised in The Guardian, Ireland skipper O’Driscoll was severely critical of Umaga for what he believed to be a less than full apology from his fellow centre.
”I always believed it was he, among the truly hard men of the world game, who never crossed the line but he was a bitter disappointment on this occasion.
”Everybody has to be accountable for their actions, on and off the field. I like to think it was an aberration — but it needs to be owned up to.
”The entire incident left me sick to the bone for a couple of days before I got myself back together.
”I will forgive but I will never forget how I have been treated.”
New Zealand begin their Grand Slam bid against Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on November 5. – Sapa-AFP