Savea apologised for his “heat of the moment” actions after the game,but the incident caused huge debate,and SANZAAR later cited the New Zealand international under Law 9.27,which states a player must not do anything that’s against the spirit of good sportsmanship.
But after Savea pleaded not guilty and fronted a hearing on Tuesday,the SANZAAR judicial panel of Nigel Hampton,Mike Mika and David Croft determined the throat-slitting gesture did not deserve a red card.
The panel determined it deserved an official warning,however,which meant that Savea had collected the equivalent of two yellow cards on the same night,which adds up to a red card and a suspension.
Savea was suspended for one week,which will see him sit out the Hurricanes’ clash against the Blues on Saturday. But by avoiding a longer penalty on the throat slitting gesture,Savea will be available to take on the Waratahs next week in Wellington.
“Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence,including all camera angles and additional evidence,including from the player and submissions from his legal representative,Aaron Lloyd,the judicial committee found the foul play did not breach the red card threshold,” Hampton said in a release.