Rowe suspended for lifting

Peter Rowe

Steelform Wanganui and New Zealand Heartland XV captain Peter Rowe will miss this Saturday's McCrea Cup clash against NZ Marist after being given a one-match suspension for an illegal tackle on South Canterbury's Nick Annear in the Meads Cup victory on October 24.

Rowe grabbed the leg of Annear as he climbed over the top of a Wanganui ruck to get his leg down on the ball at a crucial moment of the second half in the final, and was seen to be continuing to lift him as Annear went over backwards and landed hard on his shoulder and neck.

Referee Liam Scanlon consulted the TMO and received word from the sideline match official that Annear had gotten airborne himself, and so awarded a penalty to South Canterbury yet did not sin-bin the Wanganui skipper.

In a press release yesterday from the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, it stated Rowe's tackle was later deemed as "foul play that met the red card threshold" from citing commissioner Tony Duffin.

"He was cited under law 10.4 (j) for a lifting tackle that posed risk of serious injury."

The meeting was held last week.

"Judicial Officer Roger Drummond noted Rowe's early admission of the illegal tackle, but found it to be at the lower end of the scale of seriousness."

Drummond also took into account Rowe's clean record in 108 first class matches for Wanganui and his "positive contribution to the game".

The suspension is from all rugby until after November 7, which is the NZ Heartland team's game with Marist in Masterton.

That match will serve as a warm-up to the Heartland XV's two-match series against the Australian Barbarians in Levin next Tuesday, November 10, and then on the Friday at Cooks Gardens in Wanganui.

The other five Wanganui players in the 25-man squad will be available for Saturday's game " hooker Cole Baldwin, halfback Lindsay Horrocks, and loose forwards Bryn Hudson and Fraser Hammond.

Hudson and Horrocks will be looking to make their debuts, while Baldwin is the squad incumbent and Hammond returns to the national side after previous stints in 2009-10 and 2012.

Wanganui's manager Chris Back will also manage the Heartland team for the sixth successive year.