Bledisloe Cup: All Blacks move on from Darcy Swain incident, supporting injured Quinn Tupaea

The All Blacks are looking to move on from the saga involving Wallabies lock Darcy Swain, who was handed a six-week suspension for an illegal cleanout on Quinn Tupaea.

In the first half of the All Blacks' 39-37 victory in Melbourne last week, Swain hit Tupaea from the side, taking out his planted leg.

Swain was shown a yellow card for the hit, and cited for the incident, with SANZAAR's judiciary handing him a six-week suspension.

Darcy Swain was shown a yellow card for his clean out of Quinn Tupaea. Photo credit: Image - Getty Images

Tupaea, though, suffered a ruptured medial collateral ligament and partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and now faces a nine-month road to recovery.

Swain's punishment could be considered light, given his record at the judiciary after also copping a two-week ban earlier this year for a headbutt on England's Jonny May.

What's more, with the suspension being ruled in terms of weeks and not games, Swain will only miss three tests for the Wallabies, and will be free to play on the second half of their northern hemisphere tour to end the year.

He will, though, miss this week's Bledisloe Cup return fixture at Eden Park, as the Wallabies look to end a winless run against the All Blacks in Auckland that dates back to 1986.

But rather than have any complaints about a perceived light sentence for Swain, the All Blacks are making peace with the punishment handed out, and trust the judiciary's decision.

Quinn Tupaea injured against Australia. Photo credit: Image - Photosport

"It is what it is," coach Ian Foster said. "We spoke after the game, and said there's a process people go through.

"We're fully aware of that, we go through it ourselves. He's got what he's got.

"I haven't read the judiciary thing, but clearly he's gone through a process, and that's what they've come up with.

"I've been through a lot of judiciary processes, there's a lot that happens in there. I don't know what they've actually come up with.

"I'm sure they've been consistent with what they've done in the past."

All Blacks loose forward Dalton Papali'i meanwhile is eager to emphasise Swain's punishment is of little concern to the team, with their focus instead being on supporting Tupaea on his long road back.

"To be honest, I don't really want to talk about [Swain]," said Papali'i. "I just want to talk about how we're [wishing] our brother Quinn a speedy recovery.

"We've all sent messages to him to get around him. But I think he got that six weeks, it was up to the board to do all that.

"It's said and been done, we've just got to carry on now and look forward."

Meanwhile, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie took his own issue with Swain's suspension, pointing at All Blacks' prop Fletcher Newell's cleanout of Scott Sio.

Newell, though, escaped any citation, but has not been selected for this weekend's second Bledisloe Cup test.

Join Newshub for live updates of the All Blacks v Wallabies second Bledisloe Cup test from 7pm Saturday

Contact Newshub with your story tips:
news@newshub.co.nz