World Rugby opens disciplinary can of worms
UPDATE: World Rugby has opened a proverbial can of worms when they decided to overturn a referee’s decision to red cared French fullback Benjamin Fall.
In what has become on of the most contentious issues of the year World Rugby ruled that controversial Australian referee Angus Gardner was wrong when he red-carded Fall in the 12th minute of the Test between New Zealand and France in Wellington at the weekend.
New Zealand beat France 26-13 to clinch their three-Test series in unconvincing fashion.
Fall’s early red card for a dangerous challenge on Beauden Barrett effectively sealed the defeat for France, who were smashed 11-52 in Auckland the week before.
The rare move by World Rugby to overturn the red card was hailed by France coach Jacques Brunel – who at the weekend had queried the validity of the referee’s decision.
“Wisdom has prevailed,” Brunel said after a World Rugby judicial panel ruled Fall’s mid-air collision with All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett was accidental and said he was free to play in this coming Saturday’s third Test.
Fall “at all times, had his eyes on the ball”, the panel said after reviewing video of the sickening impact which saw Barrett plunge head-first to the ground.
Barrett is unlikely to play in the third Test having failed a concussion test after being upended by Fall 12 minutes into last Saturday’s match.
Immediately after the game, the All Blacks sympathised with Fall.
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen appealed for an easing of the rules when dealing with accidental play in which someone was injured.
“There’s got to be some wriggle room for that. It’s spoiling Test matches – red cards for unintentional incidents,” he said.
The judicial panel, headed by Australian Adam Casselden, said that unlike the referee they had “the benefit of all the video footage” and after reviewing the evidence agreed to cancel the card.
Video footage showed Fall had his eyes on the ball while it was in the air, “which showed, in our opinion, a clear intention, on the part of the player, that he intended to contest it,” the committee found.
“It is a decision taken with hindsight and discernment,” Brunel said.
“It takes into account the succession of facts that led to this unintentional collision. Subsequently, wisdom has prevailed.”
The judicial panel said Fall had ‘collided’ with All Blacks centre Anton Lienert-Brown just before leaping for the ball and that caused him to lose his balance.
By running into Lienert-Brown, Fall “was denied the time and the space to put himself in a position to avoid a collision” with Barrett.
“We did not consider that the player’s actions, in the circumstances of this case, were deliberate or reckless,” it said.
Many pundits at the weekend claimed that Lienert-Brown was at fault, as his actions may have been deliberate – an attempt to subtly ‘obstruct’ the chasing Frenchman.
In overturning the red card, World Rugby reopened the debate of allowing so much ‘interpretation’ in the hands of referees and television match officials, who often get it wrong – despite having all the technology at their disposal.
* Article continues below video…
World Rugby’s statement:
Benjamin Fall Red Card hearing outcome
A World Rugby appointed judicial committee has cancelled the red card sanction issued to French fullback Benjamin Fall during his team’s 26 – 13 loss to the New Zealand All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday night.
Benjamin Fall (France) was shown a red card by referee Angus Gardner (Australia) in the 11th minute of the first half of the second Test match played between the New Zealand All Blacks and France on Saturday, 16 June 2018 at Westpac Stadium.
Fall was ordered off the field under Law 9.17 for tackling, charging, pulling, pushing or grasping an opponent whose feet were off the ground.
In accordance with World Rugby’s disciplinary process, Fall’s red card hearing was heard by an Independent Judicial Committee comprising Adam Casselden (Chairman), David Croft (former Australian and Queensland Reds player) and John Langford (former Australian, ACT Brumbies and Munster player).
Having conducted a detailed review of all the evidence available, including all video footage and additional evidence from the player and submissions from his legal representative Aaron Lloyd, the Independent Judicial Committee dismissed the red card issued by the referee.
The Independent Judicial Committee found:
“As demonstrated in the video footage, the Player, at all times, had his eyes on the ball whilst it was in the air, which showed, in our opinion, a clear intention, on the part of the Player, that he intended to contest it. From the moment the ball leaves France #10’s boot the Player is observed running a line at pace to a position which he believes will put him in the best possible position to catch it. The line that the Player is running is then altered by his collision with NZ #13. This collision then causes the Player to lose his balance, stumble and be propelled or pushed towards the path of NZ #10. By reason of those matters the Player’s attempt to contest the ball was compromised. In our opinion, the direct and proximate cause for that outcome was the result of the Player’s collision with NZ #13. As a result of his collision with NZ #13 the Player was denied the time (less than 1 second) and the space to put himself in a position to avoid a collision with NZ #10 or to contest the ball as he had initially planned.
“Whilst it is unfortunate that NZ #10 sustained a concussion after landing on his head, was removed from the match and is unlikely to be available for the third Test match we did not consider that the Player’s actions, in the circumstances of this case, were deliberate or reckless. In our opinion, as supported by all the video footage, the Player’s actions were accidental as they were brought about by his collision with NZ #13, the effect of which changed his initial running line thereby pushing him towards NZ #10. We did not consider that the Player would have foreseen the events, which ultimately unfolded, and therefore could not have, in our opinion, given the speed of the events and the dynamics at play, taken any preventative steps to avoid the collision with NZ #10 or to have put himself in a position to contest the ball as he had initially planned.
“Therefore, having regard to the totality of the evidence, the Judicial Committee was satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the referee’s decision to issue the red card was wrong. In reaching that conclusion, it is important to record, that no criticism is made of the referee nor, in our opinion, would any be warranted. Unlike the referee we had the benefit of all the video footage, which showed various angles of the incident. Unlike the referee we had the luxury of time to deliberate and consider, in private, the incident. In contrast, the referee was required to make his decision in a matter of minutes in the full gaze of the public and without the benefit of all the relevant material.
“Accordingly, the red card is dismissed and the Player is free to resume playing rugby immediately. We direct World Rugby to expunge the Ordering Off (red card) from the Player’s disciplinary record.”
