Super Rugby returns this weekend with the Blues taking on the Reds at Eden park and the Chiefs taking on the Highlanders in Suva.
All Blacks first-five Beauden Barrett, a victim of a horror fall in the second test against France, has joined the chorus of top-level players and coaches who want clarity from World Rugby over the increasingly grey area of competing for high kicks.
Barrett was concussed after his collision with Frenchman Benjamin Fall in Wellington just over a fortnight ago, a high-profile incident in the first half which saw the Tricolours fullback sent off by referee Angus Gardner, a decision that was rescinded by an independent judiciary a day later.
But Barrett, who left the field immediately after his fall in the first quarter of his team's scratchy 26-13 victory, said he spoke to Fall afterwards and that there were no hard feelings.
In the wake of his own injury and Israel Folau's one-game ban for his challenge against Irishman Peter O'Mahony in the third test in Sydney, Barrett said it was an area of the game which needed to be looked at by World Rugby.
Despite winning the French series three-nil, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was clearly frustrated by the inconsistencies in the match officials' rulings, but that had nothing on the anger of Wallabies coach Michael Cheika after several contentious decisions went against his side during the 2-1 series defeat to Ireland.
All Black brothers Scott, (L) Jordie (C) and Beauden Barrett (R) during the International Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Samoa. Photo / Getty Images.
The inconsistency has bewildered spectators, players, and coaches alike. Fall's red card was overturned after the judiciary ruled his mid-air collision was unintentional, yet Folau's yellow card earned him a week's ban. Both men had eyes only for the ball.
"It will be a shame if it's taken away, I just think we need a bit of clarity around the ruling so referees can be 100 per cent clear on if it's intentional, if it's unintentional, if it's a penalty, if it's a yellow card and so on," Barrett said today.
"It's a great area of the game and it shows a lot of skills and you can use it from a tactical point of view as well. I'm sure there will be work done, there probably already has, so I guess we're waiting for World Rugby to make a call on whether there's a need for rule changes or just a bit more clarity on it.
"From a ruling and officiating point of view, even the players are in the dark so we need clarity on what we can and can't do. I'm sure they're coming up with something; the main thing is we want it to be a contest, we don't want that to be taken away."
Barrett added of his conversation with Fall after the Wellington test: "I told him I felt sorry for him, I didn't think it deserved what he got. I was pleased to see he was back available the following week. Unfortunately he had to go through the judicial process and so on but it was great he was back playing."
Barrett sat out the third test in Dunedin and the Hurricanes' 24-12 defeat by the Brumbies in Canberra but will start against the Blues at Westpac Stadium on Saturday, a return that can't come quickly enough for his side, who have lost their last three matches.
It is a slump which is putting at risk their chances of hosting a home quarter-final. A victory over the Blues, who have won only four matches all season, will obviously help, but it could all rest on whether they can beat the Chiefs in Hamilton in their final round-robin match. A defeat against the team one place below them in fifth could see the Hurricanes travel back to Waikato Stadium the next week for their quarter-final.
Fortunately for them the reinforcements are coming. Loose forward Brad Shields, who missed England's final test against South Africa due to illness, has recovered, and flanker Vaea Fifita is also likely to be available.
"We haven't been playing well," coach John Plumtree said. "We accept that as a group. Our challenge is to get things right and our short-term focus is on the Blues this week."
