1 year ago
52
Freddie Steward was sent disconnected aft colliding with Hugo Keenan astatine the extremity of the archetypal halfA reddish paper fixed to England full-back Freddie Steward successful Saturday's decision by Grand Slam winners Ireland has been called "an utter farce" and "absolutely ridiculous" by erstwhile players.
Freddie Steward was sent disconnected conscionable earlier half-time aft his elbow made interaction with Hugo Keenan's head.
Keenan near the tract for a caput wounded assessment, which helium failed.
Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson said: "The officials are showing a deficiency of knowing of the game."
Dawson argued that Steward was trying his champion not to marque interaction arsenic helium and Keenan flew towards each other.
"I can't disagree with however the interaction is simply a reddish but it is the discourse of however it went to that contact," Dawson said connected BBC Radio 5 Live.
"He is stepping and slowing and turning to get retired of the interaction area, and has been punished by being sent off. It is simply a mockery.
"He was doing his utmost to debar immoderate benignant of contact. It is an utter farce."
Stricter refereeing astir unsafe challenges is portion of World Rugby's efforts to trim caput injuries, but critics person raised concerns implicit reddish cards deciding the result of matches. Ireland led 10-6 erstwhile Steward near the tract and went connected to triumph 29-16 successful Dublin.
World Rugby, England's Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union are facing ineligible enactment from much than 200 ex-professional players who accidental they were not sufficiently protected from encephalon injuries successful the sport.
As good arsenic tightening tackle laws successful the elite game, World Rugby precocious began a proceedings to reduce tackle tallness successful the assemblage game. A 20-minute reddish paper has been trialled successful the Southern Hemisphere's Rugby Championship.
Steward's was the 3rd reddish paper of the 2023 Six Nations, with France and Scotland receiving 1 each successful their third-round match.
Twelve yellowish cards were shown during the tourney - including 1 for England's Jack Willis successful the last 5 minutes against Ireland.
'Ridiculous' and 'a shambles' - however rugby reacted
World Cup victor Jason Robinson described referee Jaco Peyper's determination to springiness Steward a reddish arsenic "absolutely ridiculous", adding: "That was a yellowish paper astatine best."
England centre Jonathan Joseph said it was an "absolute shambles", portion erstwhile helping Ugo Monye described it arsenic a "bad call" due to the fact that the clash was "a rugby incident".
Ex-England skipper Will Carling said: "Steward had a divided 2nd to respond - aft a knock-on - to a antheral moving astatine him.
"There was nary intent - helium was protecting himself - what a joke."
England's Test cricket skipper Ben Stokes besides called the determination a "shambles", adding: "Rugby [is] being ruined."
Former Ireland backmost enactment Jamie Heaslip was sympathetic to England's plight, but believed World Rugby's caput interaction process, which looks astatine the grade of information successful the collision and whether determination was immoderate mitigation, was followed correctly.
"In my sentiment it is simply a rugby incident, it happens but erstwhile helium [the referee] goes to the protocol, it is not going to spell good."
Player payment radical Progressive Rugby, which has called for much enactment to support players from injury, said it was "a pugnacious call", adding that it was "good to see" Keenan person a caput wounded assessment.
English (US)