No escape as England's Billy learns his fate after red card
DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: England No.8 Billy Vunipola has not escaped punishment for his dangerous tackle during England’s defeat to Ireland on Saturday.
Vunipola, the only specialist No. 8 in England’s World Cup squad, was red-carded for a dangerous tackle in his team’s 10-29 loss to top-ranked Ireland in a World Cup warm-up game over the weekend.
He appeared before an independent judicial committee via video link for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.13 (A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously on Tuesday.
The independent Judicial Committee consisting of Roddy Dunlop – Chairman (Scotland), Frank Hadden (Scotland) and Jamie Corsi (Wales) heard the case, considering all the available evidence and submissions from the player and his representative.
The official Six Nations statement revealed that: “Vunipola admitted that he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card.
“On that basis, the Committee applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in contact with the head. This resulted in a starting point of a six-week suspension.
“However, having acknowledged mitigating factors including Vunipola’s exemplary previous record, immediate apology and remorse, and noted the absence of any aggravating factors, the committee reduced the six-week entry point by three weeks, resulting in a sanction of three weeks.”
Consequently, Vunipola will miss England’s warm-up against Fiji and the side’s two World Cup pool matches against Argentina and Japan.
Vunipola’s three-match ban comes just a day after Owen Farrell’s highly publicised verdict, where he has been banned for four matches.
The flyhalf was originally cleared to play on with immediate effect last week when the verdict from his independent disciplinary hearing emerged over his red card in the August 12 Nations Series win over Wales.
Farrell was initially yellow-carded at Twickenham for crashing his shoulder into the head of the ball-carrying Wales replacement, Taine Basham.
That decision was soon upgraded to a red card on review by the TMO bunker.
*READ: The Owen Farrell verdict
However, the judiciary downgraded that sanction three days later to a yellow card, freeing Farrell to play on without a ban.
However, World Rugby last Thursday decided to exercise its right of appeal and that resulted in the case getting re-heard on Tuesday by a different judicial committee.
The suspensions mean that both players will miss England’s World Cup opening pool matches against Argentina and Japan.
However, Vunipola may apply to take part in the Coaching Intervention Programme to substitute the final match of his sanction and might be free to face Japan.
*Full statement below…
