Has it been the best Rugby World Cup yet? England 2015 is certainly in the conversation.
The rugby has been excellent. From the top to the bottom of the international game, the skill and athleticism on show have been better and the games more competitive than ever before.
We have been wowed by skills more than collisions: Australia’s Bernard Foley slicing through England, Japan’s Karne Hesketh sliding to score in the corner against South Africa, Fiji’s Niki Goneva scoring at the end of a stunning length-of-the-field move against Wales.
These are the moments that will live on after the tournament ends.
But even though there is a generally positive vibe, two issues have been causing concern for those charged with overseeing the sport. The first is head injuries, the second is criticism of the treatment of what have come to be termed ‘Tier 2’ nations.
The furore over the five-week ban handed to Alesana Tuilagi for an incident in Samoa’s loss to Japan is part of both conversations.
The decision has attracted widespread condemnation. Dozens of players, journalists and fans are queuing up to condemn the disciplinary panel that made the decision, many using the hashtag #FreeAlesana.
On the face of it, that’s not surprising. Rugby fans like to see ball-carriers get past opponents and naturally tend to favour the attacking player.
And it helps his case in the court of popular opinion that Tuilagi is a popular figure in the game. The 34-year-old plays right on the edge but is also a sportsman. Nobody doubts that he would be the first to offer a handshake to an opponent if he came off worse in a collision.
The bare facts of this case are that Tuilagi was given an eight-week ban, which was then reduced to five due to mitigating factors. Those factors included Tuilagi’s “good character and record over a long career and the absence of any off-field aggravating factors”.
Even discounting several lengthy suspensions incurred at the beginning of his career, the panel has effectively disregarded Tuilagi’s red card and two-week ban for a dangerous high tackle on Jean De Villiers in 2013.
On that score at least, Tuilagi can count himself more than fairly treated.
But leaving aside all that, there is the incident itself.
The main TV angle is of what looks like an innocuous collision. It shows Tuilagi taking a large forward step before using his weight to bulldoze his way through a tackle. Big, exaggerated steps, bumps and leans are all part of what make Pacific Island rugby special.
Tatekawa would not be the first player to be left flat on his back by weight and power applied the Samoan way. On first viewing it simply looks like he is not up to the task of tackling Tuilagi. To be completely fair, Tatekawa's technique has been criticised and there might be some merit in that argument.
#SAM #AlesanaTuilagi cited for striking a #JPN player w/ his knee during 2nd min of match. #SAMvJPN #RWC2015 https://t.co/ZxVy2nlnd9
— Patrick Yuen (@PatrickYuen_36) October 7, 2015
But a second angle shows the problem. From the side, it is clear that Tuilagi’s knee is high and out in front of his body. The knee strikes Tatekawa in the head, immediately knocking him unconscious. It is because of this that Tuilagi is able to ‘bulldoze’ on through the tackle with such apparent ease.
Those who have defended Tuilagi have held the exploits of Jonah Lomu up as proof that ball-carrying of this type has always been part of rugby union. But that isn’t the case. Watch the footage. Lomu invariably contacts tacklers with his thighs or hips, never with a high-stepping knee.
The reality is that the high knee is dangerous and that the move owes more to Rugby League than it does to the traditional Pacific Islander ‘bump’.
It would be a disaster if the technique were to be emulated and used widely in the game.
Possession of the ball does not give the attacking player carte blanche to do whatever they want. It took time, but we now understand that leading with the elbow or forearm is dangerous and it has largely been eradicated. Why should leading with the knee be treated any differently?
Those claiming that Tuilagi has been treated unfairly compared to the likes of Michael Hooper (one-week ban for shoulder charge to head) or Sam Burgess (no citing or ban for swinging arm to the head) are on firmer ground. World Rugby must ensure that players representing the top nations are severely punished when they transgress and the failure to cite and punish Burgess is particularly egregious. Consistency is vital.
In Tuilagi's case, the detail of whether the offence was a mid-range or lower-end offence is worth debating.
But while the severity of the ban is open to debate, those charged with making the Tuilagi decision got it right by deciding there had been dangerous play.
The bigger picture is important. Nobody who watched the RTÉ documentary ‘Hidden Impact: Rugby And Concussion’ on Monday night could have been left in any doubt that head injuries are the biggest issue the sport.
The only solution is to continue working to make the game as safe as possible.
The reality is that what happens on TV at the Rugby World Cup is emulated all over the rugby-playing world.
It is in that context that those lining up to tweet #FreeAlesana need to re-evaluate their view.
