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Opinion: Red card inconsistency does the game no justice

rugby30 November 2020 10:20| © SuperSport
By:Brenden Nel
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Two decisions this past rugby weekend left rugby viewers unsatisfied, and underlined the need for consistency across the rugby world when it comes to issuing cards for foul play.

The Vodacom Bulls managed against the odds to win the Carling Currie Cup match against DHL Western Province after being reduced to 14 men during the game when loosehead prop Jacques van Rooyen received a red card for a late charge on Warrick Gelant.

Firstly the part that few will dispute - the charge was most definitely late and there can be an argument made that he made a feeble attempt to wrap arms. On normal speed it certainly looked like a shoulder check.

That definitely constitutes foul play and the officials were right in reviewing the incident.

Rugby has been on the warpath for incidents of head-high tackles and we've seen a number of red cards littered throughout the game. Of course, nobodywants to see a player have lasting damage and to clean the game up is a worthy exercise.

However, where things got confusing was where the TMO Rasta Rashivenge described it as "under the head area" and recommended a yellow card.

Few would have argued with that decision. But then referee AJ Jacobs went a step further and described what he heard - to the head with force, and therefore a red card.

Instead of correcting the ref, and reiterating the yellow, Rasta agreed. And the red was given.

Given that Gelant was falling into the tackle and the hit was in the upper chest area and not to the head, it was a travesty. And while it didn't ruin the contest, it certainly could have been a blowout one way.

Referees are told to "own their decisions" and the decisiveness from Jacobs is understandable. What was poor was that the TMO, who was meant to provide a more accurate analysis, faltered and simply agreed with the referee.

This does the game no favours, and rugby lovers clamour for consistency. To suggest one moment that a yellow was appropriate and then the next that it was red did the game no service. It was a wrong decision and could have had severe consequences on the season.

Unfortunately due to the veil of secrecy surrounding referees, fans will never be the wiser whether it was a correct call, or if it will be addresses. Coaches can't make public utterances and the game suffers as a result.

Jake White was at his most diplomatic when he said it shouldn't have been a red.

"I heard the commentary and then all of a sudden they switched it off," said White. "I found that odd because we always have access to the on-field communication," he said.

White said the card was  "unjustifiable" and was adamant that, at best, Van Rooyen had hit Gelant on the shoulder.

"When I saw it was a red, I thought 'jeez, that's a bit strange'. But to play with 14 men for 35 minutes in what was potentially the last north-south derby at Newlands, was a good achievement," he added.

White can complain in private to the referee bosses, but it is unlikely we will hear anything more about it.

However, in Saturday's Tri Nations game between the All Blacks and Pumas there was a travesty for a yellow card that was awarded for a foul play incident that should have been red.

All Black prop Tyrel Lomax was given a yellow card by referee Nic Berry for a forearm challenge to clear out an Argentinean player, striking him on the head with force.

The challenge was clear to the head with force and even prompted former British and Irish Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll to furiously tweet about it.

"Just catching up on the match from this morning & wondering how I'm meant to explain to my boy watching beside me that this only deserves 10 mins? Forearms to the head are not so bad??? FFS," O'Driscoll tweeted.

Both incidents highlighted the need for consistency, and until rugby can achieve this, there will be controversial incidents that will infuriate and perplex.

In its quest for clarity and to stamp out head-high tackles, rugby needs to find consistency sooner rather than later.

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