Imagine if a footballer did this?

[Shaggy]

...it would be a huge ban and a massive debate about role models and all that other stuff.

Why is it tolerated and smoothed over in rugby?

From Northampton v Leicester today

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLGNhyJqZsw"]YouTube - ashton getting knocked the **** out![/ame]

[Rich]

Just looks like a high tackle

[Buzzo]

Handbags.

[Reece]

Christ, we didn't hear the last of it when the Barca players were going down that easy.

[Rudo]

Saw that earlier on SSN, f'in disgrace

[Daniel 7]

Yeah, but rugby players respect the ref, innit.

[Rudo]

Yeah, but rugby players respect the ref, innit.

Gentleman's Sport

[EwarWoo]

Maybe because rugby isn't a non-contact sport?

Not saying it makes it right, it's bang out of order, but if it had been a shoulder or knee during a tackle his body would be expected to take it, and likely as on many occasions.

Heavy contact is a part of the sport, so it's maybe not quite as dangerous.

[Fernandinho]

Ewar I don't know where you have been living lately , but football is a contact sport mate.

[EwarWoo]

Ewar I don't know where you have been living lately , but football is a contact sport mate.

Maybe not literally, but you go for the ball not the man and contact is incidental. In fact any more than minimal incidental contact is a foul.

You don't have the entire objective of put that big ******* with the ball on the ground and if you he doesn't get up for a while much the better, within the rules of the game at least.

[Fernandinho]

Very true. I hate all the people here that always call football a "pussys sport" and how its non contact and all. Spoken by true meat heads.

[Shaggy]

Gentleman's Sport

Yah, one won't tolerate harassing the officials but one is perfectly entitled to gouge a chap's eyes out, wot!

[Hollowman]

Remember when Bowyer and Dyer had that ghey off on the pitch? Didn't Bowyer end up before a magistrate for that?

[Shaggy]

Yep, he was fined by the courts and got something like a 7 game ban.

[Shaggy]

Full clip here, you see the 3 or 4 punches on about 2:30

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLVlD0rMeZc"]YouTube - Manu Tuilagi vs Chris Ashton Punch Up[/ame]