Wynne Gray: Pictures of Tipoki's blow don't lie

The television replay is both revealing and grim. Without that footage, Rua Tipoki would probably have escaped censure for the elbow he landed on James Hilgendorf's face.

But on the pictorial evidence, Tipoki altered his intended tackle to unleash a swinging elbow on the Force five-eighths. It was blatant.

Tipoki took his chance. In the past he would have got away with his thuggery but television is a ubiquitous spectator in the modern era.

Rugby is better for that involvement in checking for foul play or try-scoring decisions.

The Blues midfielder attacked his opponent's head, the one part of the body footballers always treated as sacrosanct in the dark days of rugby violence, pre-television.

It was a cheap shot from Tipoki with expensive consequences.

Banned for 16 weeks he will miss the rest of the Super 14, the NZ Maori tour to Canada and the first few rounds of the Air New Zealand Cup.

"We will not be appealing," Blues chief executive Andy Dalton confirmed yesterday.

"We believe the process was robust and fair, we have taken advice about getting the penalty reduced and Rua is keen to move on."

Tipoki had no defence against the charge but there will be stringent debate about the severity of his suspension.

The Sanzar judicial committee which ruled on the case was bound by IRB regulations which have three levels of penalty for each offence.

The lowest sanction for striking carries a minimum two-week ban, the mid-range starts at three months and the top end begins with a minimum six-month suspension.

In assessing the level of Tipoki's offence, the judiciary marked him against a standard checklist ranging from intent, risk, injury, provocation, the ability of the victim to defend himself and the effects of the foul play.

Committee chairman Bruce Squire QC, Ash Edwards and Pat Samson ruled that Tipoki had committed a serious offence.

They decided his punishment should start at the mid-range 12-week ban with some extra time because Tipoki had two previous appearances for striking and there had to be a deterrent for persistent offenders.

Was the suspension too harsh?

It is easy to make that contention by comparing the solitary week ban Scott Staniforth received for a dangerous flying late tackle on a Highlanders opponent.

Under the IRB sanctions the lowest penalty for that offence was two weeks, one which was halved because of a variety of mitigating factors such as Staniforth's clean sheet in a lengthy career and the lack of damage to his victim. Tipoki could not call on any of those to soften his sentence.

Take another look at the video replay and the callous hit Tipoki put on Hilgendorf. He was going to assist with teammate Luke McAlister's tackle before he dropped one arm and raised an elbow and lined up his victim.

Hilgendorf fractured an eye socket, suffered a cut and concussion and there is some concern he will be permanently impaired.

There was no doubting Tipoki's remorse when he spoke after his hearing. He will have had a sorry few days counting the cost.

Unfortunately for Tipoki, he remains a modern footballer who cannot rid himself of old habits. Off the track he is very personable but when he crosses the whitewash he carries a destructive gene.

Unless he reforms it will destroy him and his livelihood.