RUGBY:WALES SECONDROW Bradley Davies is expected to be called before a Six Nations disciplinary hearing this week following his sin-binning for a dangerous tackle on Irish substitute Donnacha Ryan in the 65th minute of Sunday's match at the Aviva Stadium.
Davies was yellow-carded on the advice of English touch judge Dave Pearson who, incidentally, referees Ireland’s match against France in Paris this Saturday.
Here is the discussion heard on ref-link last Sunday between referee Wayne Barnes and Pearson.
Wayne Barnes: “Mate, I’ve seen nothing.”
Dave Pearson: “It’s alright. Lifted the player off the floor.”
WB: “Yep.”
DP: “Twisted him past the horizontal.”
WB: “Yep.”
DP: “And dropped him.”
WB: “Okay, recommendation?”
DP: “It’s a yellow.”
WB: “Yellow card, thank you.”
Barnes also yellow-carded Stephen Ferris for his 79th-minute tackle on Ian Evans, which led to Leigh Halfpenny kicking the match-winning penalty.
Ferris is not expected to be cited for his alleged “tip tackle” although citing commissioner Achille Reali (Italy) has until 5pm today, 48 hours after the game, to make a final decision. Welsh coach Warren Gatland has already indicated that Davies had been cited.
There is renewed confusion over the correct sanction to be handed down for this tackle as Irish referee Alain Rolland was led to believe such tackles warranted a straight red card, as proved by his dismissal of Welsh captain Sam Warburton in last year’s World Cup semi-final against France.
Law 10.4 (j) states: “Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play. Sanction: penalty kick.”
An IRB release on January 25th stated: “Foul Play. Strict application of the Law by referees will continue to ensure that player welfare is the paramount concern.”
Leinster flanker Dominic Ryan was yesterday asked his opinion about Barnes’s game-defining decision to penalise Ferris.
“I suppose it was unlucky. In my opinion I don’t think it was a penalty but looking at refs they have to be consistent; they might see an elbow going up and might think there is intent there to drive down.”
Ryan is due to return to the Leinster squad, after a 16-week absence due to a fractured ankle, for Treviso’s visit to the RDS on Thursday (live RTÉ, kick-off 7.05pm) while fellow openside flanker Shane Jennings has been released by the Ireland squad.
Kevin McLaughlin will also return to the backrow but Luke Fitzgerald, Andrew Conway and Matt Berquist are still unavailable through injury.
With Keith Earls returning to the Ireland camp today, Denis Hurley has been sent back to Munster ahead of their mini-tour of Italy. They face Aironi on Sunday at the Stadio Zaffanella (live TG4, kick-off 2pm). Tony McGahan’s squad intend to stay in Italy ahead of their fixture against Treviso on Saturday week.
GOING UP: Wales biggest risers in rankings
WALES are the biggest movers in the updated IRB rankings, moving from eighth to sixth. They have traded places with Ireland, who slip to the perilous eighth spot, the last seeded position for the 2015 World Cup Pools. The draw for that will be done after November’s Test match window.
Ireland had to beat Argentina in November 2008 to secure their second seeding for last year’s tournament.
Scotland have dropped to 11th behind Tonga and Samoa after the weekend’s defeat to England.
World Rankings: 1 (1) New Zealand, 2 (2) Australia, 3 (3) France, 4 (4) South Africa, 5 (5) England, 6 (8) Wales, 7 (7) Argentina, 8 (6) Ireland, 9 (9) Tonga, 10 (11) Samoa, 11 (10) Scotland, 12 (12) Italy.
