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'They've rallied around him': Hurricanes head coach explains Savea's tough week
By Kim Ekin
Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland has addressed the media after Ardie Savea received a one-week ban from the SANZAAR judicial committee on Tuesday night.
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The star No 8 will miss the Hurricanes derby with rivals Blues coming off a loss on Sunday afternoon to the Brumbies.
Holland stood with Savea and reiterated that the All Black loose forward immediately realised his mistake once tempers cooled down.
“He’s pretty adamant that it’s something he definitely shouldn’t have done in the moment,” Holland told media the day after Savea’s judicial hearing.
“He has accepted that straightaway pretty much when he was sitting on the bench there on the sin bin for 10 minutes that it was something he shouldn’t have done.
“We just have to get on with accepting that and get on with what comes next.”
Savea’s behaviour was deemed to be “persistent offending” by the judicial committee after he was first yellow carded for his involvement in the goal line scuffle.
Despite his remorseful post-game apology the committee still found it necessary to charge him under law 9.27: A player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship.
The Hurricanes head coach explained it’s been a ‘tough week’ for Savea and his family as the reaction has been global and intense.
“It’s tough, isn’t it? Because it doesn’t just affect Ardie, it affects the family and everyone that’s close to him,” Holland said.
“Obviously hasn’t been easy. Like you talk around the one-week sanction, there’s obviously a bit more than that that goes on that comes out of this around the general public and around his family and those sorts of things.
“But he’s got a good group around him, good group of people, great family and they’ve rallied around him.
“I think he’s probably pretty relieved now that he can make people really clear that he’s apologised and start to get on with his life and his footy.”
His treatment has brought the game into disrepute and justified ridicule.
Don’t agree, one players reaction to a situation does not bring the whole game into disrepute. The game is fast & physical & lots of things happen out on the field that the public never hear about. Ardie Savea has made one bad move, & quickly acknowledged that his behaviour was wrong & apologised to his team mates, the public & family. The shame it has bought on him is punishment enough! Let’s move on!