THREE players have copped a three-match suspension after being cited for indiscipline on day one of the Fiji Rugby Union Super 7s Series at Prince Charles Park in Nadi yesterday.
Two players, Vinaya Habosi (Fire) and Sevanaia Vuli (Raiwasa), were sent off the field for red card offences while Filipe Sauturaga (Police Blue) was cited by the match commissioner following the pool fixture.
Discipline is the key area the match officials have been strict on at the start of the series last month.
Fiji 7s coach Gareth Baber was happy with the quality of rugby on display.
Baber said he was pleased with the general discipline around the tackles however there were three red card offences.
He said the main concern was that the players were looking to lift legs during the tackles which was against the laws of the game.
“In the World Rugby law book it states that you cannot lift the legs of an opponent,” Baber said.
“That is basically the starting of getting into a dangerous tackle. So it is a bit disappointing but it is not something that is always in the game here. It is coincidental that three of them were picked up, two on the field and one afterwards.”
Baber said players must be made aware the television match officials view their every move and a citing commission was also in place for every match.
“Obviously we have video footage afterwards and the players need to be aware they can be picked up, anything to an hour after the game,” he said.
“There is no restriction if it has been missed on the field as they will be picked up by the television match official or the citing commission and that is how it should be. It is a game that has to be played within the laws. It is a contact sport but we don’t want to lose the physicality of the game however it has to be done within the laws.”
