The tackle will be downloaded. It will be watched frame by frame. It will be looked at often, examined closely and then people will disagree about the outcome and, or, the sanction. England number 8, Billy Vunipola makes it into this week’s gallery of “D’oh! Did I really do that?” no arm tacklers to ensure Owen Farrell’s no arm tackle appeal early next week won’t be the only upgraded red card on the work agenda of independent inquiry teams.
It occurred in the 53rd minute as Andrew Porter bullocked forward in possession of the ball. On first watching, the tackle seemed okay from one side of the stadium. But the well-placed New Zealand referee Paul Williams saw something he didn’t like. He also had Irish captain James Ryan shouting “high tackle, high tackle.” Suitably briefed, Williams awarded the England backrow a yellow card for the tackle.
The review bunker then took over and watched the incident in detail. From a camera angle on the other side of the pitch Vunipola could be seen lurching into the Irish prop to make his tackle. He clearly made contact with Porter’s head with his right shoulder leading.
The yellow card drew a low groaning cheer from the crowd but within minutes, as Vunipola sat alone by the side of the pitch, the decision through the voice of TMO Ben Whitehouse came back on the radio system.
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“Head contact, high degree of danger, no mitigation and no wrap. Red card.”
And with that, England in successive weeks have had two experienced players given red cards for the same offence – a no arm tackle into the head of an opponent. In Farrell’s cases it was Wales’ Taine Basham in Twickenham.
It’s likely Richard Smith KC is on England manager Steve Borthwick’s speed dial given the excellent job he did in getting Farrell off a suspension, hence the World Rugby appeal.
The decision also shows how the tendency is for referees to hand over red card decisions to the TMO. Two weeks running they have not felt the need to call red card offences on the pitch.
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They issue the yellow card and leave it to the reviewers to pick it apart in a timely fashion and come back with the decision within minutes. On this occasion it was around three minutes before Whitehouse came on to deliver the grim news to England.
Porter remained healthy, partly by luck and maybe too by his enormous strength which helped him to absorb the blow without injury. But England will have to engage in some emergency self-examination about what is driving the players to foul tackle.
As recently as Thursday Borthwick was lashing out, claiming World Rugby’s decision to put Farrell in the disciplinary dock again jeopardised his captain’s chances of leading England into the World Cup and claimed what he perceived was a witch hunt against his outhalf.
Now he has double trouble. Two disciplinary hearings, with a World Cup in a few weeks and possible suspensions in the pipeline.
