Blues star flipped on his head in dangerous contest before yellow card upgraded to red
Blues five-eighth Stephen Perofeta was lucky to stay on the field during his side's clash with the Crusaders after landing on his head in a horror contest.
Perofeta attempted to catch a box kick 40 metres out from his line in the second half but a sprinting Kurtis MacDonald came through and upended him.
MacDonald had his timing all wrong and hit Perofeta in the waist when he was in the air.
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The Blues star then fell on his head with medical staff attending to him straight away.
Stephen Perofeta is upended by Kurtis MacDonald. Sky Sport
A yellow card was only inevitable for MacDonald.
"My live version is 23 has run straight through on him and not been in a realistic position to contest, so I'm with yellow card," referee Angus Gardner told his sideline colleague.
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Replays showed MacDonald had eyes on the ball but realised way too late he wouldn't be able to contest with a jump.
"He lost the ball Kurtis MacDonald, he lost where the ball was and then actually started to slip, but where he started to slip into was the zone where Perofeta was jumping into the ball ... but you cannot do that, you've got to protect the guy in the air," Justin Marshall said on Sky Sport.
Later Gardner upgraded that punishment to a red card in the 68th minute after it was judged the contest had a "high degree of danger".
"That's as dangerous as it gets and that's why you have laws to protect the player jumping in the air ... I'm sure there's no intent, pure accident, but very dangerous," Jeff Wilson said.
At the time the Crusaders were leading 31-13, but moments later they were down to 13-men with Jack Sexton yellow carded for a cynical foul.
The Blues hit back immediately through Hoskins Sotutu from close range. Beauden Barrett converted to make the margin nine points.
However, despite an incredible disadvantage, the Crusaders scored through George Bell on the back of multiple phases near the tryline.
The Crusaders finished 36-20 winners, returning to form after a 38-31 loss against the Hurricanes last round.
