Liam Messam latest former All Black to receive ban after dangerous tackle
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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SBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
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