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Liam Messam latest former All Black to receive ban after dangerous tackle
By Online Editors
Former All Black Liam Messam has been banned for four weeks for a dangerous tackle.
The Toulon club plan to appeal Messam's suspension - handed out one day after Messam's former All Blacks teammate Jerome Kaino was banned by for five weeks for a shoulder charge on Welsh test centre Jamie Roberts while playing for Toulouse.
34-year-old Messam had been in good form for Toulon despite the team's recent drop in play, but was red carded after an incident against Montpellier on October 7 when he hit centre Yvan Reilhac in a high tackle.
The 43-test All Black missed last weekend's 26-25 Heineken Champions Cup defeat at the hands of the Newcastle Falcons and will not return to action until late November when Toulon visit Bordeaux-Begles.
Messam joined Toulon this year after one final campaign with the Chiefs, with whom he has played a club record 179 games with after making his debut in 2006.
Meanwhile, former Hurricanes and Waikato prop Loni Uhila has also been suspended after an incident in the Top 14. The Clermont front rower was given a five-week ban for a head high tackle against La Rochelle hooker and French international Pierre Bourgarit.
The 29-year-old should be cleared to play against Montpellier on December 1.
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Latest Comments
Reiko should be the dual winger guy as he should be used to playing either side given he's had to do both at 13 (pass and step left/right).
Maybe he has such a bad preference that that's why he's not a good center?
Go to commentsAgreed. And I don't have much more to say on it, but I had been having one thought that sprang to mind at the tail of this discussion, and that is that it's not all about Razor.
It's not about any coach being "right". I think a lot of selections can become defense and while it doesn't really apply here I really enjoyed that Andy Farrell just gave into the public demands and changed out his team for the change that had been asked for. Like why not? This is the countries team, keep them engaged. The whole reason i've only just finished watching the game was because I wasn't interested in watching any of the selected players against a team like Italy (still actually enjoyed the first half with the contest Italy made of it).
Faz leap frogs a younger half back into start. He hands the golden child the game over July's golden child. He gives an old winger a go, a new flanker and hooker. None of them really did any good, certainly not enough to suggest they should have been promoted above others, but who cares? You won, and you gave the country what they wanted, that's all that matters after all. It's for the country, not the one in charge who thinks they have to have their own pied piper tune playing.
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