Koroiduadua’s Two-Week Ban Angers Rebels Coach

Melbourne Rebels coach Kevin Foote has slammed the Super Rugby Pacific Foul Play Review Committee’s (FPRC) decision to hand prop Jone Koroiduadua a two-week ban.

Foote has described the headbutt from the Fijian Drua forward as ‘malicious’ and criticised the committee’s assessment that it warranted a low entry point.

Koroiduadua was the second Drua player to be sent off during the Super Rugby Pacific clash in Melbourne after scrum-half Frank Lomani was given his marching orders for an elbow to the head of lock Josh Canham.

The decision to deem the prop’s actions as a low-entry sanction meant that his potential ban started at six weeks instead of mid-range (10 weeks) or top-end (16 weeks) under World Rugby’s guidelines.

While Foote believed that Lomani’s six-week ban was appropriate, he was left fuming by Koroiduadua’s suspension, particularly after Reece Hodge’s two-week ban in 2021 after two yellow card incidents.

“There is intent there, whether he lands it or not is irrelevant,” Foote told reporters.

“If Mafi has his head forward at that stage and he hits him, does that make it worse?

“That is malicious. My understanding is if you make any contact with the head, we have been told that is top, top, top suspension. And he gets two weeks.”

Foote added that the Drua prop was on a “mission” and highlighted other game-related incidents.

“He (Koroiduadua) was on a mission. There was a late hit on Carter (Gordon) and there was something with Ryan (Louwrens) just before that. But then to obviously headbutt on top of that, I mean come on,” he added.

Swire Shipping Drua prop Jone Koroiduadua is facing a two-week ban for his headbutt (inset) during their game with Melbourne Rebels. Photo: Planet Rugby

How his players responded

The coach remembered Hodge’s ban in 2021 when the Wallabies’ back got two weeks after two yellow card incidents.

“How does Hodgey get a red card after a team foul and a yellow foul, and it’s two weeks, and that (headbutt) gets two weeks? It doesn’t make any sense,” Foote said.

While he was fuming about the incidents in the match, he was pleased by the reaction of his players.

“I said to the players that there were a couple of incidents in that game, how proud I was of them,” he said. 

By- Planet Rugby

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