Round 18: time for a report system? one thing to miss about conference play

But on one final attacking raid, Waratahs captain Bernard Foley cut through the defence; the No.10 offloading to Folau who cruised in to score his second five-pointer. At first, it appeared the Television Match Official had been called upon to review the final pass, but then the dialogue between referee Frederico Anselmi and assistant Will Houston was played over the broadcast.

Upon reviewing the footage, it was clear Sunwolves winger Semisi Masirewa was in trouble for a lifting tackle on Foley. Moments after Foley had offloaded to Folau, Masirewa drove the Waratahs playmaker back into the Allianz Stadium turf, the first contact point unfortunately being Foley's head.

From that moment, Anselmi only ever had one choice but to send Masirewa off. World Rugby's laws are crystal clear on the lifting tackle in that if a player lands on the head or neck region, the sanction must be a red card.

But what isn't taken into account in the lifting tackle law is the momentum Foley had as he broke clear and the fact his sole focus was executing the final pass to Folau; Foley wasn't bracing for contact at all. There is no disputing the fact that Masirewa's tackle was dangerous. But given Foley's angle and speed, his movement clearly also played a role in his final landing position.

Post-game, stand-in Sunwolves coach Tony Brown backed recent calls for a report system similar to the one used in rugby league. There was no malicious intent in Masirewa's tackle, yet the combination of Foley's speed, body position and the Sunwolves winger's technique resulted in the worst possible outcome and, ultimately, the red card. The Sunwolves were always going to be up against it from thereon out.

"A tough one to take as a team, as a coach you're going 'yellow card, maybe','" Brown said. "I don't think there's any intent in there. It was just unfortunate. I think it was Steve Hansen said that just put players on report like they do in (rugby) league and play on.

"Maybe a yellow card and then if it's a serious incident then he gets suspended after the game."

A report system certainly seems like a logical option for discussion, at the very least, particularly for cases where there is no intent on the part of the offending player. It would ensure contests, like the one in action on Saturday night, are not spoiled by an incident that is the result of a combination of factors. It would also reserve a referee's right to still punish players for deliberate acts of foul play or where there can be no excuse for high contact or lifting tackles.

Masirewa has since been suspended for three weeks: surely that's a suitable punishment rather than removing any chance his side had of victory on Saturday night?

New Zealand Conference

Farewell to the Southern Derby double?

SANZAAR last week put out a curious press release following its board meeting in Singapore, a single-paragraph statement saying they were "making progress" on Super Rugby's future.

If recent headlines are to be believed and players' voices, such as Kieran Read, are observed, then the competition may revert back to a round-robin tournament from 2020. The days of the conference system may well be numbered.

For players, coaches and fans alike, that decision cannot come soon enough. For while in each of the seven seasons it has been in action the competition's best team has gone on to win the competition, it did take an almighty effort from the Crusaders to maintain the tournament's integrity last year. Fortunately for SANZAAR, the Crusaders' win over the Lions in Johannesburg meant the competition retained its integrity.

If the conference system is to be confined to the scrapheap, there is one facet of the competition supporters will miss: two editions of the Southern Derby. The South Island seldom fails to produce one, and usually two, of the year's most thrilling fixtures of any competition from across the globe.

Friday's iteration was no different.

After one game in five weeks, you might have expected the Crusaders to be a tad rusty. But any thought of some sluggishness was obliterated in just the third minute with the first of two tries from winger George Bridge.

David Havili added the Crusaders' second in the 14th minute before the Highlanders responded with a try from Tyrel Lomax; followed by a breathtaking try by Ben Smith after a break from Lima Sopoaga. The Crusaders had the final say of the first 40 through Scott Barrett, completing a five-try opening half. It would be hard to find a better 40 minutes of rugby this season.

There were then three tries in the first six minutes of the second half. Running rugby at its best.