VIDEO: Red-card saga has Kiwi coaches fuming
REACTION: The fall-out over game-changing red card decisions escalated at the weekend, as two New Zealand coach asked for a rethink.
Sunwolves wing Semisi Masirewa has been slapped with a three-week ban, after he was red-carded for a tip-tackle in his team’s 25-77 loss to the Waratahs in their Super Rugby encounter in Sydney at the weekend.
The SANZAAR foul play review committee has accepted a guilty plea from Masirewa, for contravening Law 9.18: A player must not lift an opponent off the ground and drop or drive that player so that their head and/or upper body make contact with the ground.
The incident occurred in the 39th minute of the match – with the Sunwolves still in the game, trailing just by one point (18-19) before an Israel Folau try and the red card turned the game on its head.
The SANZAAR foul play review committee – Nigel Hampton (Chairman), Stefan Terblanche and John Langford – ruled that the incident merited a low-end entry point of a six-week ban.
“However, taking into account mitigating factors – including the player’s good judicial record, his immediate and repeated apology to the other player, his remorse and his guilty plea at the earliest possible convenience – the foul play review committee reduced the suspension to three weeks,” a statement said.
Masirewa is suspended up to and including July 30.
At the post-match media briefing both the Sunwolves and Waratahs coaches – Tony Brown and Daryl Gibson – said they would back the introduction of a report system in the wake of the ongoing fall-out over controversial red cards.
Brown, an All Black and the Sunwolves’ interim coach, said moments like Masirewa’s could be dealt with by a report system, with red cards effectively turning the game upside down.
It’s a view that echoed comments made by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper supporting the consideration of a report system, rather than just red and yellow cards.
“I think it was Steve Hansen said, just put the players on report like they do in [Rugby] League and play on,” Brown said.
“Maybe a yellow card and if that’s a serious incident, then they get suspended after the game and then the game’s not affected as much as it was [in this match]. In the All Black Test against France, [the] same thing [happened].”
Brown said he didn’t believe the incident warranted a red card, leaving the Sunwolves at a major disadvantage after a strong start in Sydney, before a late yellow put them down even further.
“Obviously, tough one to take as a team and as a coach, you’re counting on yellow card maybe, I don’t think there was any intent in there, it was just unfortunate,” he said.
“So, it was tough for us to compete against a pretty good Waratahs team with 14 players and then 13 in the last 10 minutes.
“I think we were in the game obviously and we were putting the Waratahs under enough pressure and I thought going into half-time if we didn’t get the red card, because our game is all about the second half and using our speed, energy and trying to put the Waratahs under pressure that way.”
Though the Waratahs were on the positive end of the decision, coach Daryl Gibson agreed with his Sunwolves counterpart about the impact of red cards.
“I think the effect that it has on the game, it takes away the contest,” he said.
“In that instance, the referee has no option.
“He’s following to the letter of the law and that’s what he’s required to do.
“Having an intermediary step that’s not quite a red card, [to] give them some options, [that’s] sensible.”
@rugby365com; additional reporting by rugby.com.au
