Wallaby flank Swinton banned for four weeks over high tackle

Wallabies flanker Lachie Swinton will miss the rest of the Tri Nations tournament after the game’s ruling body said Tuesday he had received a four-week ban for a dangerous tackle on All Black Sam Whitelock.

Swinton became the first Wallaby ever red-carded on his debut when he was sent off in the first half of Australia’s upset 24-22 victory over New Zealand in Brisbane on Saturday.

The SANZAAR judiciary upheld the red card decision, finding Swinton had made high contact when tackling lock Whitelock.

The southern hemisphere governing body said Swinton’s actions merited a six-week ban but gave him a two-week discount after an early guilty plea.

It means Swinton will miss Australia’s final two matches of the Tri Nations against Argentina on November 21 and December 5.

All Blacks prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi will face a judicial hearing later Tuesday after also seeing red for a similar high shot on Wallabies winger Tom Wright.

World Rugby has ordered a clampdown on reckless tackles that make contact with the head amid concerns about long-term brain injuries.

Veterans such as former All Blacks John Kirwan and Christian Cullen, along with ex-Wallabies Phil Kearns and Tim Horan, have criticised the red cards arguing they are “ruining the spectacle” of the game.

Kirwan has suggested that, rather than being sent off, players should be sin-binned for 10 minutes, then hauled before the judiciary to face bans.

But All Blacks hooker Dane Coles said players knew the rules and had to improve their tackling technique to avoid breaking them.

“We just have to be better — we do a lot of tackling practice in the week,” he told reporters Monday.

“We just have to lower our sights and targets to not get those red cards again.”

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