Wallaby star's red card gets reversed
SPOTLIGHT: Star wing Marika Koroibete is free to play for the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship after escaping suspension for an alleged high tackle.
Koroibete fronted a World Rugby judicial committee on Monday to fight the dangerous tackle charge after being controversial shown a red card early in Australia’s series-deciding Test win over France on Saturday.
An independent disciplinary committee has decided not to uphold Marika Koroibete’s red card.
Tackle “initially made shoulder to shoulder contact. Subsequently, through the impact, any contact to the chest and neck was incidental by Koroibete.” pic.twitter.com/GRtMCjJfir
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) July 19, 2021
He was sent off after just five minutes of the Suncorp Stadium Test but Wallabies coach Dave Rennie later claimed France captain Anthony Jelonch “terribly milked” the incident.
An independent panel chaired by New Zealand’s Helen Morgan and supported by former players and now legal eagles Mike Mika and Chris Smith tended to agree, exonerating Koroibete after considering all the available evidence, including multiple broadcast angles and submissions from the player and his representative.
“The player Marika Koroibete admitted to technically committing an act of foul play worthy of a red card,” SANZAAR said in a statement.
“Having reviewed all the evidence, the committee deemed that Marika Koroibete’s tackle on French loose forward Anthony Jelonch initially made shoulder to shoulder contact at the fifth minute of the game.
“Subsequently, through the impact, any contact to the chest and neck was incidental by Koroibete.
“Therefore, World Rugby’s Head Contact Process was not met due to mitigating factors, and the act of the foul play was secondary.
“On that basis, the committee did not uphold the red card and the player is free to play again immediately.”
Australia’s best player in the opening two Tests against Les Bleus, Koroibete is now free to to take on the All Blacks in the first match of the Bledisloe Cup series and Rugby Championship at Eden Park on August 7.
