Big Men's Brawl Continues After Game
Sun Herald
Sunday May 2, 2004
A FIERY feud between NSW second-rower Justin Harrison and his Highlanders counterpart Filipo Levi erupted both on and off the field yesterday, eventually resulting in security guards rushing in to push them apart.
First Harrison and Levi were involved in a lengthy punch-up in the 43rd minute, when both players succeeded in striking the other in the head on several occasions. Levi got some early punches in, but Harrison soon retaliated.
The upshot was that Levi was sent off by South African referee Shaun Veldsman , while Harrison was directed to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.
But the spite did not end there. After Matt Burke missed a match-winning penalty goal on full-time, Levi, who was standing on the sideline, gesticulated at a disconsolate Harrison, who was heading towards the players' tunnel. Levi then rushed at Harrison, hitting him from behind near the NSW lock's shoulder.
Harrison turned around to retaliate, but the intervention of players from both teams, match officials and nearby security guards succeeded in pushing the pair away from each other before the incident became uglier.
Levi will front the SANZAR judiciary in Sydney this morning for using an elbow to Harrison's face, and is at the centre of another inquiry by the Australian Rugby Union disciplinary committee over the incident at full-time.
Officials were deliberating last night whether, under the ARU's code of conduct, Levi would also be charged with off-field misconduct.
It was a big call by Veldsman to send Levi off.
Highlanders captain Anton Oliver was surprised by the Levi red card.
``I'm a bit of a rugby old-school purist," Oliver said.
``While it is not a thing you want to be teaching schoolchildren, what happened out there on the field is not as bad as blatant foul play, head butting or eye gouging."
Apart from the despair of losing the match, NSW have several serious injuries, with centre Morgan Turinui and skipper Chris Whitaker suffering damaged shoulders.
When Levi allegedly struck Harrison he was not in his football gear he had already changed into a dress shirt and slacks.
Some thought Levi was a spectator who had hopped the fence to have a shot at Harrison.
Several players from both teams rushed to the scene but were luckily diverted by a large group of officials hovering around the players' tunnel.
© 2004 Sun Herald
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