If you want to play that game....... if the one being elbowed pulls a knife out and stabs the 'elbower' he goes to prison. Where does it ever stop?

Do you agree that what Flower did was wrong!

Of course it was wrong! absolutely.
If this happened on the street Im not sure he would go to prison, plenty don't.
But if you did what lance did on the street you would also be arrested.

No, because an airy fairy shove with the forearm in the situation of retaliation for being pushed over previously (one individual low level shove from each) would get both of them a serious dressing down but not arrest.

The violent punch/es that followed would be ABH (possibly considered GBH in so far as the law states) and due to the second punch on an unconscious person unable to defend themselves [icould[/i see a custodial sentence though first time offenders often see a fine.
Even taking into account it's a physical contact sport and fights happen regularly, the second punch though not the most damaging is the bit that would have re-inforced the ABH at the very least and might have pursauded a judge to make an example with a custodial sentence due to the extreme nature.
IF the police/CPS had got involved (they're pretty fecking useless in any case) it would be unlikely they'd go for the GBH charge because of them less likely to get a conviction.
All supposition because nothing was done, that said IF the police had decided to take matters further do you think RL players would be less likely to start throwing haymakers or not?

What he did was shocking, and probably one of the worst things I've seen on a rugby field.
What I'm getting at is this clamour of people claiming if he did that on the street he'd be arrested etc etc. as if behaviour on the rugby field wouldn't normally see people arrested if they did it on the street.
If someone elbowed me in the face - Id be pretty annoyed if the person I involved didn't get arrested. If I was rugby tackled Id hope they got arrested!
I'm not surprised the police stayed away from this one- it's difficult.

what Hohaia did is a common reaction on a rugby field when you have just been shoved over trying to defend a kick in a Grand Final. Nothing in it at all.(oh and elbow in the face, my a***) Flower's response was not a common occurrence, it was the most thuggish thing I have seen on a rugby field.

I'm sure a good brief would get him off with an instinctive reaction to the initial off the ball shot from flower that sparked the whole sorry episode.

Squeaky bum time for Saints, letting a player with concussion like symptoms play 8 games this season.

I take it you haven't watched much rugby? I have seen far worse.

So in your eyes LH did nothing? I'm pretty sure that he committed an assault and from there retaliation falls towards self defense. To put it simply, elbow me in the head and I won't get a slap on the wrist from the law for retaliation.

That said, talk of the police is nonsense. Its pretty clear that you and your mate can walk into someones home, attack them, be caught on camera and not only do the press barely care but neither do the club, governing body or fans.

I really struggle with the fact that Flower is lambasted for retaliation in a match. Hardacre and friend get very little for going into someone's home and assaulting them!!!

I haven't. The worst I've probably seen was the elbow on Hugh Waddell at Headingley v Widnes. They're in the same category.

Self defence also needs to be reasonable force. Punching a prone person could be construed as excessive force. The first punch is self defence the second..... Difficult.

I think you really need to go back to the match to see how the incident developed, Flower instigated the thing in the first place with a side shot to the head, what Lance did was retaliation. After Flowers retaliation he lost control and went over the "red line" Holding down an unconscious player at the throat then punching vertically down into the eye socket is NOT SPORT but now potentially pending as G.B.H. It,s as simple as that whichever way you want to dress it up, time will tell but Flower might have to come to terms that his action "may have" contributed to the termination of a players career and possible future brain damage, hopefully the latter does,t develop for every sport minded person on here, and wish Lance well for his future and family.

And do the saints club have to take some of that responsibility by allowing him to continue to play?