CONNACHT COACH ANDY Friend says that the educational programme which Bundee Aki must undergo if he wants his eight-week suspension reduced is far from a box-ticking exercise and that the centre will have earned the one week reprieve if he gets it.
The 32-year old is suspended for Ireland’s games against the Springboks and Fiji but could be available for the match against Australia if his completion of the Head Contact Process Coaching Intervention programme is deemed acceptable.
Aki was sent off for the third time in his career for a reckless tackle shortly after he came on against the Stormers in the URC in September and was given an eight-week suspension.
That ban will be reduced by one week if he successfully completes the Head Contact Process Coaching Intervention programme, but Friend said this was not straightforward.
It has meant that some of Aki’s coaches and teammates in Connacht, along with the province’s video and analysis crew, have had to work with him on getting the programme completed to the required high level.
It basically involves the coaches being videoed explaining and showing the correct tackle procedure, then Aki executing several times in various scenarios, and all of this must be recorded from a variety of angles and be of a standard that is acceptable to the disciplinary body, in addition to written questions.
“It is quite intense actually and it involves Bundee going through a realm of onfield technical aspects around the breakdown, going through some questionnaires, some video work that he had to do, which all then has to be supported by coaches,” said Friend.
He said that coaches, players and technical staff were all involved in the process over several days at the Sportsground, with scrum and contact coach Colm Tucker leading the process and several of Aki’s teammates chipping in to help with demonstrations.
“Collie Tucker is the bloke who looked after all that but that’s another workload for he and for Bundee. Some players had to be brought in as well because what you are really doing is showing and videoing the correct tackle and breakdown technique and making sure lessons are learnt from the incident.
“It is all put together and sent in and the quality of all of it, the technique involved, the questionnaires, the quality of the videoing and so on, all gets examined and if that is ratified then he gets a week off the suspension. It certainly is not a box-ticking exercise.
“This isn’t just for Bundee, it is for any player who gets suspended and who gets the option of having it reduced if they undergo this educational procedure. There is a lot involved in it and any player who gets the week off certainly earns it,” added Friend.
Aki has missed Connacht’s games against the Bulls, Leinster, Munster, Scarlets and Ospreys in addition to the international games against South Africa and Fiji.
He will become available for the clash against the Wallabies on November 19 if successfully completes the Head Contact Process Coaching Intervention programme, although it remains to be seen if he is recalled by Andy Farrell.
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