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All Blacks star Ardie Savea finally wears mouthguard in Tri Nations clash against Argentina
By Online Editors
All Blacks star Ardie Savea will be looking for a different reception from New Zealand Rugby this week, after finally opting to wear a mouthguard.
Savea was spotted without the protective equipment during New Zealand's 24-22 defeat to the Wallabies in Brisbane last weekend, less than a month after he was condemned by NZR for not wearing a mouthguard during Bledisloe Cup II at Eden Park.
The 47-test loose forward broke the NZR players' collective agreement, whereby players have agreed "to wear a mouthguard in the course of playing" under section 53 of the 2019-2020 document.
New Zealand Rugby said they were "incredibly disappointed".
But it's a different story tonight, with Savea wearing the protective equipment during the All Blacks' Tri Nations game against Argentina.
In 2013, Savea and Wellington teammate Tomasi Palu was sent from the field by referee Nick Briant to retrieve a mouthguard after they were caught without one during a match against Canterbury.
Then aged 19, Savea was unaware mouthguards were compulsory and promised to wear one after having stopped doing so due to breathing difficulties.
"I feel like I need to wear one now," he said after he was given his marching orders seven years ago.
"I know the refs are going to start enforcing it from now on, so I will be getting one fitted ASAP.
"That was bad on my behalf. It is a good thing they are cracking down and forcing the players to wear one. It is not a good example for young players to follow."
Savea was criticised three years later after he and five other teammates – Ben Smith, Malakai Fekitoa, Waisake Naholo, Dane Coles and Tawera Kerr-Barlow – were seen not wearing mouthguards while playing for the All Blacks against Wales.
Just a fortnight after that, Savea, Coles and Vaea Fifita were all spotted without the protective equipment while playing for the Hurricanes against the Blues.
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Latest Comments
There is this thing going around against Siya Kolisi where they don't want him to be known as the best national captain ever, so they strike him down in ratings permanently whenever they can. They want McCaw and reckons he is the best captain ever. I disagree.
Just like they refuse to see SA as the best team and some have even said that should the Boks win a third WC in a row, they will still not be the best team ever. Even if they win every game between now and the WC. That is some serious hate coming SA's way.
Everyone forget how the McCaw AB's intimidated refs, was always on the wrong side, played on the ground etc. Things they would never have gotten away with today. They may have a better win ratio, but SA build depth, not caring about rank inbetween WC's until this year.
They weren't as bad inbetween as people claim, because non e of their losses was big ones and they almost never faced the strongest Bok team outside of the WC, allowing countries like France and Ireland to rise to the top unopposed.
Rassie is still at it, building more depth, getting more young stars into the fold. By the time he leaves (I hope never) he will leave a very strong Bok side for the next 15- 20 years. Not everyone will play for 20 years, but each year Rassie acknowledge the young stars and get them involved and ready for international rugby.
Not everyone will make it to the WC, but those 51/52 players will compete for those spots for the WC. They will deliver their best. The future of the Boks is in very safe hands. The only thing that bothers me is Rassie's health. If he can overcome it, rugby looks dark for the rest of the rugby world. He is already the greatest coach in WR history. By the time he retires, he will be the biggest legend any sport has ever seen
Go to commentsWas it? I just brought it up in some of my posts to rub it in that the AB last year nearly put 100 on a top 6N side lol
I agree to be honest. The biggest key to me that they might be jadded was none of them had mom performances, or even as good as their last three games.
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