Highlanders and All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot is lamenting the spate of red cards in Super Rugby Pacific, as the competition's officials crack down on poor tackles.
In the first half of the 2022 season, players being shown red cards for high tackles has been a common occurrence on both sides of the Tasman.
Last weekend alone, Crusaders captain Scott Barrett was shown a red card for a high tackle, resulting in a four-game ban, while the Highlanders lost lock Josh Dickson for a similar offence - earning him a three-game suspension.
Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua is another to earn a three-week ban, after his high shot on Gareth Evans went unpunished at the time, but was cited by match officials after the fact.
Blues and All Blacks prop Nepo Laulala, and Crusaders hooker Shilo Klein have also been hit with suspensions following high tackles of their own earlier this year.
But for de Groot, the increase in red cards is a feature Super Rugby Pacific could do without, with the physicality of the game at risk of being threatened by referee and judiciary intervention.
"I suppose it's just the way the rules are," de Groot said.
"Super's [Rugby] probably getting a wee bit soft, on the red cards. If you slow every tackle down, they all look like head knocks.
"It's just the way the rules are, it's unlucky if you get found out."
Highlanders assistant coach Clarke Dermody was more understanding of the circumstances, as the team prepares for the next three weeks of the season without one of their key men in Dickson.
"I understand why it's happening, we've got to protect the players' heads," Dermody said.
"It's obviously a big part of the game, and technically, he obviously got it a bit wrong.
"If that's the precedent that's been set out, we understand why."
Meanwhile, Super Rugby Pacific's shift into trans-Tasman fixtures comes as welcome relief for the Highlanders.
After the first eight rounds of the season, the Highlanders sit 10th on the 12 team table, with just one win to their name so far.
But up about to take on the six Australian-based sides, de Groot sees the fixture list as a chance for the Highlanders to return to winning ways - as they did in 2021 by making the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final, which they lost to the Blues.
"We've been building nicely, we just need to pull it together for 80 [minutes]," de Groot added.
"There's a lot of things out there we're missing. Opportunities-wise, we're not pulling [the] trigger.
"I suppose it is a bit of a reset for us to hook in and play the Aussies. If you look at what happened last year when we played them, we had a bit of a slow start and then found ourselves in the final.
"Definitely, it is a reset for us."
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