Editorial: Brutal Darcy Swain act took physical contest too far

Darcy Swain leaving the field after receiving a yellow card during the Bledisloe Cup match between the Wallabies and the All Blacks. Photo / Cameron Spencer, Getty Images

EDITORIAL

When former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons spoke at an Auckland Rugby gala dinner ahead of last weekend's Bledisloe Cup match, he regaled the audience with stories of dark deeds from the dark ages of our national game.

When he first played against Wayne Shelford, the young lock's coach instructed him to stop the All Blacks hardman at all costs. The Aussie punched, bit, eye-gouged and generally tried every foul trick in the book to halt the great man. All to no avail – the All Blacks marched to glorious victory.

Feeling sheepish, the young FitzSimons approached Shelford at the after-match function, ready to apologise. "Hello, Mister Shelford. My name's Peter..."

"Gidday, Peter," came Buck's response. "Did you play today?"

The crowd lapped up FitzSimons' story, laughing with approval.

But there was nothing to cheer about in recent news that All Blacks midfielder Quinn Tupaea will be out of rugby for up to nine months, following an act of foul play by Australian lock Darcy Swain. The Wallaby attacked Tupaea's knee with a brutal assault that could deliver little material advantage to his team but grossly endangered the New Zealander.

As brutal as rugby's collisions can be, the professional age and the unwavering eye of televisual scrutiny have at least flushed out the darkest deeds.

Swain's disgraceful act belonged in a different era, and his six-week ban is about as far as the sport's judiciary can go these days. But the stain will hang over his name for far longer.