Referee describes this horrendous spear tackle as the worst he's ever seen

We all know that player safety, particularly regarding the head and neck, has been a key focus for rugby's governing body in recent years, with dangerous tackles being heavily sanctioned and often debated. This one, however, is as clear cut as it comes.  Canadian referee James Acker described to us what it was like when he refereed his second game in South Africa, and had to deal with this shocking tackle.  It took place in the beautiful region of Franschhoek after Acker had been attending a referee academy in Stellenbosch. This was his first real club game in the area, a pre-season derby …