Gore's finest cops two-game ban, back for quarter-final
Ethan de Groot will miss the All Blacks final two pool matches against Italy and Uruguay but will be available if, as expected, the All Blacks progress to the quarterfinals.
Southland prop Ethan de Groot will miss the All Blacks’ final two World Cup pool games but will return for a likely quarter-final showdown with Ireland or South Africa.
de Groot was handed red-carded for a shoulder-first charge on a Namibian forward late in Saturday’s 71-3 victory in France.
de Groot admitted that he had committed an act of foul play but maintained that the red card threshold had not been met and therefore challenged the Foul Play Review Official’s decision that the tackle was “always illegal”.
Although an independent Disciplinary Committee - chaired by Brenda Heather-Latu (Samoa), joined by former players John Langford (Australia) and Jamie Corsi (Wales) - deemed an act of foul play had occurred.
de Groot had the opportunity to put himself in a position to complete a legal tackle and he was not sufficiently bent at the waist, the panel decided.
It stated that head contact had occurred, and the degree of danger was high.
It imposed the mid-range point for foul play resulting in head contact which is three games.
de Groot intends to take part in the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme which will reduce the suspension to two games.
It means de Groot will miss the All Blacks’ final two pool matches against Italy and Uruguay but will be available if, as expected, the All Blacks progress to the quarterfinals.