With tv monitoring approaching suffocation levels and a bunch of interventionist officials flown around the world for Rugby Union Test matches there has developed a maniacal approach to front on tackles where an often unintentional head on head contact results in an instant yellow card, ten minutes to perhaps reconsider a tackling technique for the tackler, the incident to be reviewed frame by frame by the gestapo? to be decide if an upgrade to a Red Card is appropriate.

Last evening at Wellington Cake Tin a promising French attack was suddenly halted within five meters of the All Blacks line when the Television officials brought things to a complete halt.

Even the English Referee, Christophe Ridley seemed as frustrated as any one at the Stadium as he clearly reluctantly followed protocol and called for the replay. That replay covered a tackle by Dublin Born French Lock Joshua Brennan, who at the other end of the field had earlier lifted Jordie Barrett in a tackle and his head hit the grass first attracting a yellow Card.

IMHO the danger was yet to come and yet was completely ignored by the officials, all of them, when Brennan continued to compress Barrett, and that included a rather nasty “Head Butt” that triggered an instant head shock apparent for the All Black player.

Now is the new protocol to prevent concussions such as have apparently left former All Black Prop Garl Hayman facing neurological issues around brain damage or not, because the strike subsequent to Barrett’s tip tackle seemed to be as direct a contact head-on-head as any of the multiple head knocks adjudicated across rugby this year resulting in mandated time out. Just asking?