Law discussion: 2 YC = 1 RC

It happened twice this week – once in the Varsity Cup and once in Super Rugby. The one in Varsity Cup raised eyebrows.

The Pukke of North West University played the Madibaz of Port Elizabeth. In the first half of the match of the match, Brian Skosana, the Madibaz right wing, tackled Dean Stokes, the Pukke left wing, as Pukke attacked close to the line on the left. Skosana then fell over the ball to block its exit. For that he was given a yellow card.

Then, late in the match, Daniel Acker, the Madibaz scrumhalf kicked high downfield. Skosana chased and jumped. Dillon Smit, the Pukke scrumhalf, also jumped for the ball, Smit straight up, Skosan from a distance. Smit's head and hands were up. Skosana's weren't. Skosana banged into Smit who fell awkwardly away from the path of the ball. The referees consulted about the incident and consulted the TMO. The three agreed on a yellow card for Skosana.

As that was Skosana's second yellow card in the match, it became a red card.

Law 10.5 SANCTIONS

(a) Any player who infringes any part of the Foul Play Law must be admonished, or cautioned and temporarily suspended for a period of ten minutes’ playing time, or sent-off. (A deliberate infringement is foul play.)

(b) A player who has been cautioned and temporarily suspended who then commits a second cautionable offence within the Foul Play Law must be sent-off.

(When a referee sends off a player, he shows him a red card.)

The Reds played the Brumbies in Canberra. Early in the second half lock James Horwill was at the bottom of a tackle on the Brumbies' side of a ruck. He appeared to try to wriggle out of the way but did not do so and was penalised by the referee. This was the ninth time that a Reds player had been penalised for a tackle infringement in the match and the referee sent Horill to the sin bin, showing him a yellow card. With five minutes to play the Brumbies drove a maul towards the Reds' goal-line. It collapsed, the Brumbies did not score and the referee penalised Holwill for deliberately collapsing the maul and issued him a yellow card.

As that was Horwill's second yellow card in the match, it became a red card. And afterwards he was cited to attend a SANZAR disciplinary inquiry.

Neither of the Skosana's infringements and neither of Horwill's infringements on its own merited a red card, but the effect of having two yellow cards in the same match was a red card.