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Right, Wrong or Theatrical?

B

BikingBud


Referees in England
Incident during Fr v Sco yesterday.

Blue 2 on ground in goal and White 9 gets pushed by Blue 15, falls over Blue 2 and Blue 2 responds to get in face of White 9, now prostrate in goal.

Head contact occurs.

www.bbc.co.uk

Six Nations: France v Scotland - Mauvaka headbutts White

Watch as Peato Mauvaka avoids a red card after headbutting Ben White in the win over Scotland that clinched France the Six Nations title.
www.bbc.co.uk


Was it foul play?

Was it a headbutt?

Was it a straight Red card?

One field Yellow and sent for off field review leading to 20 min Red.

Doesn't excuse the actions nor the decision but White making a big deal of it. And despite apparent low-level impact and theatrics by White 9 he dos not go off for HIA and has recovered enough to beat the Blue attackers and touch down at the other end of the park preventing a try.

Is Townsend's perspective fair?

Scotland boss Gregor Townsend bemused by lack of red card for France's Peato Mauvaka​

 
> On field Yellow and sent for off field review leading to 20 min Red.

It wasn't even upgraded to a 20 min red.

> "Well the decision not to raise it to a red card was because there was not excessive force," said Townsend.

> "I'm not sure that's really the criteria for a non-tackle incident. It clearly was a non-tackle incident, it was after the whistle. So, if there was head contact and that was intentional, it shouldn't be anything to do with the force that was involved"
 
On the headbutt, I’d be interested in the off field discussion but I could see how they could consider that the action of Lucu could have been a factor. As muavaka gets up, Lucu steps over and catches him enough for it to be considered mitigation?

As for the play acting… seems to be a standard way to get a TMO or ref review at the elite level. Reminds me a little of Faf de Klerk getting a YC for a swipe on Nic White a few years back. Swung for the ball, clipped it but got more of White’s face who then theatrically collapsed to the floor on his knees and played out like he’d been chinned.

For all the post match pearl-clutching about rugby values, in that moment he called out a dumb move, gets a key opponent out the way and gives his team a one player advantage for 10 mins.

You get the behavior you reward.
 
For me it was the redest of red cards. Clearly after the whistle and "always illegal, so no mitigation" to borrow a phrase. However, I'd like to see a ref have the balls to YC 9 for play acting too.
 
To be fair in the videos I've seen, I don't actually see contact between head and face. I see pushing, tripping and a bit of hand bags. If contact was made I don't see an injury in the videos.
One clear picture of contact and I lean to a red, but I want more evidence.

I may get splinters from sitting on the fence
 
ive not seen any other comments yet.

So its a YC for a team mate knocking 2 over with subsequent head clash. 2 didnt choose to head smash.
is that the correct synopsis?

If so YC seems ridiculously harsh.
 
I was at the game and it looked like a straight red all day long. Was so far after the whistle it was not part of play.

Personally it could have been 3 cards:
YC for Fra 15 for the original push that put Scot 9 in a prone position
RC for Fra 2 for flying headbut whilst play was stopped - doesn't even need to make contact for me the intent was clear and obvious and as such should = straight RC.
YC for Scot 9 for amateur dramatics as that was unnecessary.

MC bottled the RC and sent it to the bunker and it would not surprise me if French TV suddenly only had angles that were inconclusive.

Consistency from the TMO through the whole game was a little poor tbh. Clear spear tackle on Finn Russell that wasn't even reviewed yet a short while later French player upended by player standing up is a TMO review? Correct call from MC on that one at least.

Whilst I might be Scottish, France were the stronger team and deserved the win, just wish we could get consistency in decision making when it comes to protecting player safety and that our tops refs do not hide away from giving a clear and obvious RC when it is merited.
 
I was also in the stadium, albeit at the opposite end. Absolutely not milking it by Ben White in my opinion. Getting headbutted hurts. Carley got it right, as it really wasn't clear that there had been head contact from the views in the stadium, and if the on field sir isn't 100% sure - isn't this what the bunker system is intended to do?

Bunkerman got it wrong I believe.
 
Good feedback, thanks.

I think I am generally in agreement here, it was deliberate it was found play and the clock had stopped.

Personally yes Blue 15 precipitated the event but Blue 2 did head butt and it was intentional, so to me irrespective of the force that is Red. And should have been directly not a referral.

It was after the game had stopped and was not therefore part of any action and should be viewed on its own issues, so I support Townsend here in his concern.

Would I go so far as to card Blue 15, for the push, and White 9 for acting up. No, not just on that showing.

But player safety to the fore again is my key concern!
 
mbkingsmill said:
MC bottled the RC and sent it to the bunker and it would not surprise me if French TV suddenly only had angles that were inconclusive.
Click to expand...

If he couldn't see contact then I think it's right he refer it.
The TMO isn't limited by local TV directors, as I understand it. They get all the feeds, just like the TV companies do.
 
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