http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG1AkRGPka8
YouTube credit: tightfive upfront
THERE IS NO doubt about the quality and power of the hit that JP Pietersen put in on David Denton during South Africa’s 28-0 win over Scotland on Sunday. However, the winger’s actions immediately after the tackle have seen divided reaction.
What’s your take on how Pietersen shoves Denton’s face into the turf? Is this an unacceptable lack of sportsmanship? Or is it simply a justifiable demonstration of the ‘Boks’ aggression? This week has seen lots of discussion over whether or not Ireland’s players should have reacted to the tip tackle on Peter O’Mahony, but should there have been a reaction from Denton in this case?
Let us hear your opinions on this incident by leaving a comment below.
Denton deserves some credit for the way he just got up and got on with the game.
Nice hit and a bit of unnecessary needle after it. Unusual to see in rugby alright and especially when a team is so on top, Pieterson is a dirty player so this doesn’t surprise me.
Typical Saffie shite! A more arrogant group of people I’ve never met!
Worst than Cork?Jesus
The POM tackle and the Pieterson incident are different; the Irish team should have retaliated or shown a bit of aggressive support for their team mate at the receiving end of a very dangerous tackle. You’d put your body on the line for your teammates and expect them to do the same.
However, Pieterson was the instigator of foul play in a game that was long over, no need for it. Coward rubbing his face in AstroTurf when Denton was already face down on the ground
Saw that alright. Poor form considering the scoreline but it’s the nature of competitive sports I suppose, a lot of adrenalin flowing. Was very surprised by the lack of reaction.
Peterson is a b*ll*x after that forever
He was a “b*ll*x” after smashing Chris Henry off the ball from a restart a few years ago.
That and Burger’s gouge on Fitzgerald have shown the Bok’s true colours
That kind of thing doesn’t belong anywhere near a Rugby pitch. That’s American football kind of carry on, he should get some kind of unsportsmanlike conduct punishment to nip that behavior in the bud.
He should be cited for unsportsmanlike behavior
The interesting thing here is the congratulations that Pietersen got from his teammates after the tackle. Behaviour like this obviously condoned by the Boks.
It was a brilliant tackle. That’s what the congrats were for
A little rub of the face in the mud to say I got you there pal, no way your getting past me! Harmless
The Ref very quickly can end this sort of baiting or slagging nonsense and it’s in their interests to do as letting this type of behaviour go can make a game a lot harder to ref. I always like to see a ref walk a team back ten or reverse a penalty. if the ref had walk up and penalise Peterson for this his team mates would stop him very quickly.
Seems pretty much in line with what these charming rugby lads usually get up to..
Perhaps Denton should have taken a lead from soccer professionals and dropped to the ground and writhed about like he’d been shot..,,,,,,
Imagine this happened on a football pitch, there’d be comment after comment about football thugs, how you’d never see that in rugby etc etc, like they’re the paragons of all that in good and virtuous in sport
The reason this would never happen on a football pitch is the player would have fell over ages before the tackle was made and would be rolling around as if someone stole his liver with a soup spoon way before the winger could get a hand on him.
Winners write the script. They also bully the opposition around the field. Not nice to see but perfectly fine by me and I won’t be complaining if I see an Irish player doing the sane thing this weekend.
Sadly it’s far more likely to be an All Black doing it to an Irishman. At the highest level of any sport, you have to be a ruthless, nasty individual between the white lines. No place for nice guys.
What utter drivel. No matter how many times it’s refuted for simpletons.
Being nice or nasty are irrelevant. Being tough and smart are the only things that count.
BOD and POC are the nicest guys out, as are McCaw and Carter. You want to be nasty and ruthless to them on the pitch, you pay a price.
Pietersen and SA had already won the game, otherwise the act by Pietersen was sheer stupidity. There was zero upside to what he did other than gratification of his ego. Zero upside. In a competitive game, he risked having possession turned over and a penalty five yards out.
Cudmore , the definition of thick and nasty tried it on with O’Connell. O’Connell got yellow, Cudmore red and the game was gifted to Munster.
Nastiness is for the talentless and thick. You don’t know the difference between toughness and nastiness.
exactly Davy. the stuff that happens during rugby games (eye-gouging, spear tackling) is much worse that anything that has ever happens on the soccer pitch.
Apart from whenever Suarez is hungry of course.
charcoal. can you recall any other instances where a footballer has bitten another player?
Suarez, again, for Ajax?
Eye gouging, spear tackles are not tolerated. Red cards and bans. The Aussie was called by the ref. No complaining or back chat. Off and banned.
Diving and referee intimidation is part of your game. How many times does a referee or linesman get called a F*ckin sh*t in one game? How many times do the prison ink brigade crowd the referee like a bunch of hyenas and you wonder why kids think this is acceptable. Hartley said it once, immediate red and cost his team the match, Roundly condemned and as Austin Healey said “correct decision, it’s not soccer.”
No blaming the referee although this soccer disease is creeping more into the game.
Diving is an embarrassment to anyone that calls them self a man. Not punished in anyway besides the odd, meaningless yellow. It is a weapon of choice for players and coaches.
Stuff that happens on a rugby pitch is tougher than what happens in soccer and the retribution is more brutal. It keeps players in line.
Free face mud pack and scalp massage. Christmas came early for him.
Ugly stuff. I’d find it hard to cheer for someone who did this sort of thing. In retaliation sure, that’s different, but just to be a dick or gain an edge…
For gods sake get a grip people Denton is a very big boy and can handle himself fine id say
No. Too much, from a guy that wouldn’t be let into the stadium at home to see South Africa play, not too long ago, how quickly we forget, and start rubbing others noses in the dirt.
Flatheads! Got to hate them!
Think this should be looked at like Denton did. Get up and get on with the game. You make a tackle like that and see how you control the adrenaline rush. Denton didn’t complain because he understood it! Was just a shove in the face, same as a hand-off. It’s why Rugby is a great game.