One-man lifts the real problem, says Wallaby Dane Haylett-Petty
ISRAEL Folau faces suspension, but it’s Ireland’s tactics to stop him the best jumper in world rugby winning kick-offs that has riled the Wallabies.
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THE Wallabies say World Rugby must address the one-man lift at kick-offs after Israel Folau was cited for dangerous play on Irish skipper Peter O-Mahony, but not the incident he was yellow carded for.
Folau will have to face a disciplinary hearing in coming days after being cited for ninth-minute incident, one of three times Folau competed against O’Mahony in the air at a kick-off, the third of which saw him sin-binned after the flanker landed on his head in the 31st minute and was ruled out for the remainder of the match with concussion.
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Attention has turned, however, to O’Mahony’s teammate CJ Stander who was lifting his captain solo, and failed to provide a controlled landing for him as Folau successfully tapped the ball back each time.
“The player needs to be protected, but that one with a single lift, they’re putting their own player in danger there and they’re doing that so they can cover space somewhere else,’ Folau’s teammate Dane Haylett-Petty said.
“They’re encouraging teams to do that now if they’re going to protect them so heavily. Every single one of those, Izzy’s got eyes for the ball, it’s a fair contest, they’re at the same level, and any sort of contact, you saw he (O’Mahony) fell heavily.
“So it doesn’t take much at all. It really encourages teams to do that if they’re going to protect them so heavily.”
Israel Folau getting punished for dangerous play for a superb piece of athleticism against a player who is so high in the air because he's being lifted. The lift is just as dangerous as playing him in the air
— Rúaidhrà O'Connor (@RuaidhriOC) June 23, 2018
Citing commissioner Michael O’Leary reviewed footage and decided that while Folau’s sin bin incident did not warrant further action, the second kick-off incident that was not picked up by the match referees was worthy of a hearing.
O’Leary’s report said the incident was “strikingly similar” to the one for which Folau was yellow carded.
Given the yellow card and subsequent citing, Folau must face a hearing under World Rugby Regulation 17, with a date to be determined within two days.
The Wallabies regularly kick off to Folau, who is the world’s best jumper, to regain possession.
Haylett-Petty believes every team will now combat this by having one-man lifters instead of the usual two, banking on any contact Folau may make with them resulting in a penalty should they fall awkwardly.
This takes responsibility away from the lifter to secure his man safely.
“Teams already try to do whatever they can to stop him and maybe they will go for that one-man lift if they think that — it did work [on Saturday night], we won the ball back every time, but based on the ref’s decisions,” said Haylett-Petty, who could have earned his own penalty had he stayed down after losing the ball from a kick-off in the final play of the first half.
“If we had done a one-man lift I probably would have fallen. and it would’ve been the exact same thing, their player did the exact same thing, but because I didn’t fall it wasn’t adjudicated on.”
The Wallabies lost the series 2-1 after Ireland won the deciding Test 20-16 at Allianz Stadium, but the aftermath has been dominated by the refereeing.
“The players want to be protected but you don’t want to be blown off the park, all the fans want to see rugby, not penalties the whole time,’ Haylett-Petty said.
“I do think it’s a shame that most of the chat now is about refereeing decisions because it really was such a good Test series, two quality teams battling it out, unfortunately we were on the losing end but the margins in sport, that really could’ve gone either way.”