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Hurricanes' hooker woes worsen with Tuputupu suspension
By Ned Lester
The Hurricanes will be without hooker Raymond Tuputupu for three weeks following a foul play review committee's ruling on Wednesday.
The suspension rules the 21-year-old out of both of the Hurricanes' confirmed upcoming contests - round 15 against the Highlanders and the quarter-final against an opponent yet to be decided - as well as a potential semi-final fixture.
Should the Hurricanes make the final, the youngster will be available.
Having enjoyed a promotion to the starting unit since All Blacks Asafo Aumua's injury, Tuputupu's impending absence strikes another blow to the Hurricanes after the departure of club icon Dane Coles following last year's Rugby World Cup.
Tuputupu was handed a red card for his tackle attempt on the Chiefs' Tupou Vaa'i in the sixth minute. That decision was upheld by the foul play review committee.
“In the FPRC’s view, no sudden or significant change in height or direction, a late change in dynamics (or any other relevant mitigating factor set out within the head contact process) to result in mitigation sufficient to downgrade the incident to a yellow card.”
An early guilty plea, as well as Tuputupu's prior record and expression of remorse, mitigated the ban down from the mid-range entry point of six weeks.
Despite the 20-minute red card, the Hurricanes stoically wrestled momentum in their favour for the first time in the contest while down a man, even claiming the first points of the game through a linebreak from Tuputupu's explosive front-row partner Xavier Numia.
Even with another yellow car later in the game to winger Kini Naholo, the Hurricanes went on to win the derby and draw even with the Blues at the top of the Super Rugby Pacific table, with a chance to claim the top seed this weekend against the Highlanders.
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Latest Comments
I think it's the least likely possibility Ed.
Go to commentsScotland should win this one, considering they are the settled team compared to Australia. However, that is no guarantee that they will win. The Aussies tails is up, and they are throwing everything at the opposition.
When the Aussie fans cracked up and got angry when Joe Schmidt was appointed, I said to them to be patient, that he will get them on the right track. They said that he is not Australian and he won nothing. Second best. I should mind my own business because I don't know the Aussie ways, which is true as I'm SA.
However, now that he is bringing in results, they are all changing their minds. Joe is all in when he coaches a team. There is no team he supports more than the team he coaches. His quality is shining through properly now.
It's going to be a very tight game, much tighter than people realise. Both teams is playing exciting rugby right now. They both want to win. I'd even go as far as marking this game as the top game of the weekend.
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