All Black’s red card escape for ‘flying headbutt’ splits opinion among Super Rugby Pacific coaches

Chiefs and All Blacks back-row Luke Jacobson.
Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan admitted to being surprised that his team’s captain Luke Jacobson was penalised after he made head-on-head contact with Blues scrum-half Finlay Christie in Saturday’s clash in Auckland.
Jacobson started on the openside flank in the Chiefs’ 31-17 defeat at Eden Park which was both teams’ final regular season Super Rugby Pacific match.
Led with his head while counter-rucking
In the 60th minute, with the Blues leading 26-7, the 27-year-old tried to counter-ruck, but led with his head and after brushing Ricky Riccitelli’s shoulder, his head collided with Christie’s.
Following the initial contact on Riccitelli, the Blues hooker drove Jacobson upwards but the Chiefs skipper had already collided into Christie by then.
Referee Ben O’Keeffe asked that the TMO, Glenn Newman, review the incident and after consultation between the match officials, it was decided that a penalty was sufficient punishment for Jacobson’s offence.
Speaking after the match, McMillan said: “I was surprised it was a penalty to be perfectly honest.”
Meanwhile, Blues captain Patrick Tuipolutu admitted that he was hoping for “a send-off” but said it was not a big deal that the decision did not go his team’s way.
The Auckland-based outfit’s head coach Vern Cotter had a similar view to his captain’s regarding the incident.
‘I think he wasn’t sure’
“When we saw the deliberation from Ben [O’Keeffe] I think he wasn’t sure… they [referees] want a good product as well and they’ll make a decision based on what they think.
“I think he deliberated and he made a decision, he thought was right – we stick with it.”
There was plenty of reaction to the incident on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, with the overwhelming feeling being that Jacobson was lucky not to receive his marching orders.
“The ref was unmoved. Literally happy to just play on. A flying headbutt… Nah play on,” wrote Rugbynause while my-kee added: “‘Dynamic in the ruck’ … that’s an absolutely ridiculous call from the officials. He’s pretty much targeting the 9 #BLUvCHI.”
READ MORE: Blues denied top spot by late Chiefs try despite claiming victory at Eden Park