Crusaders’ Nadolo banned for four weeks

Giant Crusaders winger Nemani Nadolo has been suspended for four weeks for a dangerous tackle during Sunday’s record Super Rugby win over the Brumbies.

The ban means both the Queensland Reds and NSW Waratahs avoid having to contend with Nadolo’s barnstorming runs and offloads when they face the high-flying Crusaders in coming weeks.

Cited after the game, Nadolo was banned by the SANZAAR judiciary on Tuesday for a lifting tackle on halfback Tomas Cubelli late in the first half of his team’s 40-14 win at Canberra’s GIO Stadium, the Brumbies’ heaviest-ever home defeat.

The Fiji World Cup star was near-unstoppable at times against the Brumbies and he scored the first try and offloaded in several tackles for another.

The judiciary accepted evidence from the Crusaders that Nadolo would have played a club game during the team’s bye this weekend and he will miss subsequent Super Rugby games against the Reds, Highlanders and Waratahs before returning to face the Blues at Eden Park on May 28.

“I took into account as mitigating factors the player’s disciplinary record after a lengthy professional career, his guilty plea and the fact that the tackle was reckless rather than deliberate,” said duty judicial officer Chris Morris.

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