Rugby: Guilty plea: Talaese out for 3 weeks

Matt Talaese

Northland prop Matt Talaese has been suspended for three weeks after an incident during Saturday's ITM Cup match against Southland.

New Zealand Rugby duty judicial officer Nigel Hampton QC accepted a guilty plea from Talaese, who was issued a red card for dangerous charging.

The incident occurred in the 80th minute of the match which Southland won 27-18.

Talaese acknowledged his actions were a breach of the law and he accepted his wrongdoing.

"Right at the end of the game, the last play, Matt was clearing out a ruck and initially it was thought that he went for the player's head," Northland head coach Richie Harris said.

After going through the relevant judiciary processes, it was decided that Talaese's actions were "probably more careless than malice". "It was deemed middle range, not high range, but we were hoping to get low range and ideally two weeks," Harris said.

Hampton took Talaese's remorse, admission of responsibility and clean disciplinary record into account when considering the sanction.

The suspension means Talaese will be absent from all forms of the game for three weeks up to and including Sunday, September 13.

This means he will miss Northland's next three ITM Cup matches against Wellington (August 29), Taranaki (September 6) and Manawatu (September 13).

This season, ITM Cup disciplinary matters are in the first instance referred to an appointed duty judicial officer to allow the option of expediting the judicial process.

For a matter to be dispensed with at this early stage, the player charged must plead guilty and accept the penalty offered by the officer. If the player does not accept the charge or the offer, then the matter is referred to a full hearing with another officer.