Owen Farrell had a tumultuous week after that yellow card turned red and then turned yellow again and is now the subject of a new Appeal Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
World rugby could face a tough fight to overturn a decision to release England captain Owen Farrell after his red card against Wales, Telegraph Sport understands.
Managing concern authority center to show that there is sufficient evidence to disprove the opinion of an independent disciplinary panel that Farrell was entitled to mitigation.
The panel believes Jamie George's earlier contact with Thane Basham of Wales resulted in a “sudden and significant” change in direction from Basham to last week's tackle by Farrell at Twickenham. They used this leniency to change Farrell's red card to a yellow one, allowing him to play.
Six Nations Rugby confirmed that Farrell's hearing would take place on Tuesday.
The hearing to be held via videoconference chaired by Nigel Hampton (New Zealand), joined by Shao-ing Wang (Singapore) and Donal Courtney (Ireland).
Nigel Owens, a respected former referee, says rugby is in “big trouble” if tackles like Farrell's on Basham aren't given red cards.
In his WalesOnline column, Owens insisted that that Farrell “is a great player that I have a lot of respect for” before highlighting Farrell's history of “making this kind of tackle.” Owens felt that George's earlier contact with Basham had not softened the red card action. be reduced.
“I don’t think there was any late change in Basham that Farrell couldn’t adjust to, he was the only player who was involved in the tackle. And when the player's actions are always illegal, then mitigation plays no role in that process,” Owens said. received a yellow card for a tackle. Photo: Getty Images/Warren Little
“The key to mitigation here is that Farrell's actions have always been illegal. Whatever happened, he always led with his shoulder and did not try to turn into a judicial tackle – so mitigation does not play and should not play a role in the decision.
“So there is, there is no mitigation for me, and even definitely not enough to soften down a red card as it's foul play, there's a high degree of danger and there's an act of illegality that leads with the shoulder.
“It meets all the referee's requirements for a red card, and the general rugby public would expect a red card for that.”
Owens added that he would have given a straight red on the field instead of passing the incident to the bunker, emphasizing that he hoped the referees would not always refer incidents to the bunker rather than giving red cards to the field.
He concluded: “To put it simply, if we don't treat such actions as a red card, the game will have big problems in the future.”
This week, Courtney Lawes responded to criticism of Farrell and said his contribution to England will eventually be recognized.
Lawes will captain Farrell in Dublin as England seek to end the Irish Series out of 15 players. consecutive wins at home.
“If [Farrell] hadn't been in this situation, there probably wouldn't have been as much noise,” Lowes said. “I don’t know exactly where it came from. By a wide margin, he is one of the best players of our generation.
“He is arguably in the top 10 in England history and he proves it over and over again no matter how many caps he has and will continue to play. He will just continue to promote his legacy. When all the dust settles, I think everyone will see that he deserves every cap he has received. There are a lot of people who just want to bring you down.”
New Zealand midfielder Richie Mounga expressed his disappointment with the results of Farrell's disciplinary action.
Mounga, referring to Tonga's George Moala's five-game ban this week for a tackle despite Moala's previously clean disciplinary record, suggested that there is a double standard between penalties given to “level one” versus “level two” players. sides.
In a conversation with Radio New Zealand, Mounga said: “The Farrell incident. Someone who has a history and was banned earlier this year, if they turn around and say they have a zero week ban, that's a slap in the face.
“There are boys in this [All Blacks] camp who have deep sympathy for [Moala] and a lot of Pacific Island boys in the camp who are very upset about this scenario and the way it is unfolding. There seems to be a double standard, especially with the second tier teams and the Pacific island nations in how they are judged and how they are treated.
“You look at someone like Farrell – and I have nothing to do with him, he is a good person and I love his skill set and the way he plays – but the way he and Moala are evaluated differently is shocking .
Ronan O'Gara, head coach of European Champions La Rochelle, also spoke about the implications of the decision to cut Farrell from Off The Ball, highlighting the psychological impact of the last few days on Farrell. .
'Nobody has ever been subjected to such a routine.'
'When I played this game, heads.'< br>
Ronan O'Gara talks about his reaction to Owen Farrell's disciplinary action after his red card was cancelled. pic.twitter.com/z5igal3zYQ
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) August 18, 2023
“Nobody has ever been subjected to such a routine, even when malicious acts of foul play have taken place,” said O' ;Gara.
“The game is getting safer with cameras everywhere. I heard people say, “I don't want my son to play if this is how the game goes,” but when I played the game, people stomped on each other's heads. This was not uncommon.
“The well-being of the players is of paramount importance in the game, you must respect that. There is no place for headshots in the game. I think the progress around the concussion has been very positive.
“I guess everyone was expecting Owen to miss a game or two but move on, but now it's back in the melting pot and mentally it should be very difficult for the player.
“Mental well-being must also be taken into account, it cannot be easy. This could have been avoided. He gets sidelined a bit, and everyone else moves on.”
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