AUSTRALIA CENTRE SAMU Kerevi will miss the rest of his country’s autumn internationals after his red card against Wales was upheld.
Kerevi is now suspended for the next three matches, with Australia due to play Ireland on Saturday, 30 November, following their game against Scotland this Sunday.
Yet Kerevi was already likely to miss the Ireland game as it falls outside the international player release window, and so he may now miss a pre-season game for his Japanese club, Urayasu D-Rocks.
The 31-year old was given a yellow card in the early moments of the second half during Australia’s win over Wales following a tackle on Jac Morgan. The tackle was upgraded to a red card on review by the TMO.
🟨 Kerevi sees yellow!
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 17, 2024
📺 An off-field review for the high shot from the Aussie centre!#AutumnNationsSeries | #WALvAUS pic.twitter.com/7dcwlTmfQ5
The three-game suspension was reduced from six games due to Kerevi “accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as other mitigating factors such as his clean disciplinary record, his remorse and good conduct”.
There will likely be a further reduction of the ban to two games should Kerevi attend ‘tackle school’.
A statement from Six Nations Rugby read: “Australia number 12, Samu Kerevi, appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee via video link having received a 20 minute red card for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.13 in the match between Australia and Wales on Sunday 17 November 2024.
“The independent Disciplinary Committee was chaired by Brenda Heather-Latu (Samoa), joined by former international referee Donal Courtney (Ireland) and former international player Becky Essex (England).
“The Disciplinary Committee has upheld the red card issued to the player and by applying World Rugby’s sanctioning provisions, have determined that the mid-range entry point of six weeks/matches was appropriate. In light of the player accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as other mitigating factors such as his clean disciplinary record, his remorse and good conduct, they have applied the full 50% reduction in sanction, thus reducing the final sanction to three weeks/matches.”
Opens the door for the new rugby league superstar. That team has frightening talent. Schmidt has transformed them at an alarming pace.
@Sam Bingham: let’s see. They’ve played 2 relatively poor teams this autumn. Scotland is a step up this weekend from what’ve played before. Ireland will be a further step up. That said, they’re clearly improving quiet fast and Schmidt is a fantastic coach
@Michael Corkery: exactly you don’t become world beaters over night , that AUS side got trounced in the RChampionship. The jury is still out…
@Sam Bingham: Absolutely, even when they were getting well beaten, they still had outstanding athletes with amazing skill sets. Now we see with proper coaching and tactics etc etc what they are capable of. Not the finished article by any means, but my god, they will cause teams problems.
@Sam Bingham: makes you wonder what Schmidt could have done with the players that have come through since he left. Doubt he would’ve put up with O’Connell’s inability to coach a functional lineout for years on end without making a change for a start.
@teuO6nLS: He had become too conservative with Ireland imo. Both he and us needed a change. His Aussie team frequently plays heads up rugby whereas we largely became a by the numbers/system team in the final year or two of his term. In the positive side he brought to a level we hadn’t previously reached.
@TL55: …think you’re just about right. I’m very close to the same thoughts.
Australia will start the new superstar Suaalii against Ireland.
Would have liked to have faced Australia best .. pity