Quinn Tupaea of New Zealand leaves the field injured during the Australian Wallabies v New Zealand All Blacks Bledisloe Cup rugby union test match. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Quinn Tupaea of New Zealand leaves the field injured during the Australian Wallabies v New Zealand All Blacks Bledisloe Cup rugby union test match. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
All Blacks and Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea has been ruled out of rugby for nine months following the ugly cleanout by Wallabies lock Darcy Swain in the first Bledisloe test.
The All Blacks announced today that scans revealed extensive damage to his ACL.
Tupaea will miss Super Rugby Pacific and now faces a race for fitness and form before the Rugby World Cup next year.
Swain copped a six-week ban for the incident but he will only miss three tests after Rugby Australia controversially named him in the Australia A squad for their three-game series against Japan.
In the 35th minute of the first Bledisloe test, Swain dived with force into Tupaea's knee as the All Blacks midfielder was engaged over the ball in a ruck.
Tupaea went down in pain after his left knee buckled inwards. He was helped off the field by medical staff and was later seen in a knee brace.
A Sanzaar Juciaial Committee Hearing found Swain guilty of contravening Law 9.11 "players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others".
He has been suspended up to and including November 6.
Inititally the All Blacks said Tupaea would be sidelined for at least three months due to a ruptured medial cruciate ligament in his left knee, meaning he will miss the remainder of the season.
Quinn Tupaea of the All Blacks is appears injured during The Rugby Championship Bledisloe Cup match between the Australia Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images.
Foster said Tupaea also suffered a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament, but wasn't sure if the midfielder would require surgery.
During the match, the television match official Ben Whitehouse reviewed the incident before referee Mathieu Raynal decided that Swain deserved a yellow card.
"That is your responsibility to not put yourself in a reckless position which can seriously injure the player," Raynal told Swain after reviewing the footage. "You cannot target the lower legs, it's dangerous so it's a yellow card."
The Wallabies were reduced to 13 players after Tom Wright was also sent to the bin shortly before for cynical play.
Fans and pundits took to social media to criticise Swain's act, with many saying he should've seen red.
Former All Blacks first-five Lima Sopoaga was one of many calling for a lengthy ban for Swain: "Hope there is a lengthy ban for rubbish like this."
Former England No 10 Andy Goode described the foul play as "shocking", while also adding that Swain should've been red carded.
Darcy Swain He’s seriously injured Tupaea deliberately. Aiming to break his leg basically. Absolutely disgusting. Should be cited and given a lengthy ban#AUSvNZL#BledisloeCup#RugbyChampionship
I get that rugby is a physical, contact sport but it takes a certain mindset to target a defenceless fellow player’s knee with injurious intent, and likely put him out for a very long time. Disgraceful from Swain.
A yellow card is not a suitable punishment for what Darcy Swain did there. Blatant targetting of a players knee leading to an injury. Should be a red card followed by a lengthy suspension. #AUSvNZL
Nasty knee injury for #AllBlacks Quinn Tupaea - contact mechanism causing knee to collapse in. Brings concern for at least MCL injury, can bring risk to ACL/meniscus as well but hopefully avoided here #BledisloeCuppic.twitter.com/9YJYmrb20x
Swain was also involved in controversy during the Wallabies' test series with England earlier this year when he was sent off for head-butting England lock Johnny Hill.
Swain later justified the head-butt by revealing that he was goaded by Hill throughout the first test in Perth: "I was angry that he was assaulting me like this, and I wanted him to get the message it wasn't okay."
