In Auckland, a few hours later at Eden Park, Tongan second-rower Eli Katoa took three heavy head knocks – the first during his team’s warm up for the clash against the Kiwis, the other two during the match.
Katoa finished his day having emergency surgery to treat a significant brain bleed.
The responses to both incidents were unsurprising.
Beirne’s red card was considered by many to be an example of rugby’s judicial overreach, indicative of the 15-man code’s micro-management of collisions. The fact there was no intent and that Barrett did not leave the field for a head-injury assessment were seen as mitigating factors.
The Irishman’s defenders say he was simply caught out by the sudden pace of the All Blacks’ attack. His tackle technique was on a par with the poorly judged hit that saw All Blacks captain Sam Cane sent off in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final – and many on these shores were aggrieved that Cane was sent off in that match. (Beirne’s sanction was far more lenient – while Cane’s teammates had to play on for three quarters of the World Cup final without their skipper, the Irish lock was replaced after 20 minutes.)
The shocking Katoa incident was met with widespread sympathy for the Tonga and Melbourne Storm star. The poor guy’s plight played out in public fashion, with convulsions on the sideline and his departure from the ground on a stretcher.
Teammates, opponents and fans all expressed dismay. League legend Shaun Johnson called for heads to roll over the handling of the situation.
There’s a contradiction among sports fans in that we criticise and often lament World Rugby’s efforts to reduce the impact of head injuries, while in the next breath cheering on the big boomfah hits of both league and union. The exhilarating rush of witnessing those big tackles is a major attraction for both sports.
Hanging over the head-injury debate in both union and league is similar discussion in another oval-ball code. In America, the NFL reached a class settlement with players in 2015, and has since paid out $2.1 billion to players who have developed dementia or other brain diseases associated with concussions.
The NFL’s arrangements are certainly not perfect. There are former players who today say they haven’t been supported or covered by the settlement.
The Katoa incident might encourage a rethink in league. Any observer of both codes would realise there are routinely tackles in league that induce a flurry of red cards and suspensions in rugby union.
World Rugby certainly hasn’t found the perfect balance between keeping a game flowing and keeping its players safe. But the contrast between the abundance of caution on show in Chicago and the unfortunate events at Eden Park was stark.
The appropriate path might lurk somewhere between both scenarios.
