Sam Warburton sent off for spear tackle that wasn't? (AFP Photo / Gabriel Bouys)
I’m sitting here in disbelief after Welsh captain Sam Warburton was red carded for a spear tackle after just 17 minutes. What was referee Alain Rolland thinking? France, having lost two pool games, have gained a huge advantage for what was, at worst, a yellow card offence – but Warburton was sent off.
Warburton’s tackle on France number 14 Vincent Clerc was unfortunate and certainly worthy of a penalty and reprimand.
It’s something you don’t wish to see inflicted on anyone. Clerc landed in a dangerous position on his back, and near his head.
But at such an early stage of the game, referee Alain Rolland has clearly over-reacted to the situation.
With Adam Jones already out hurt, Wales now face the difficult French team a man down, and were trailing by three points at half-time.
I can clearly remember the last time someone from Wales was sent off in a Rugby World Cup – Huw Richards punched All Black Gary Whetton.
That was a red card. This wasn’t.
Over to you – what did you think?
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October 15th 2011 @ 8:33pm
Ro said | October 15th 2011 @ 8:33pm | Report comment
As an Irishman I’m really up for our fellow Celts, but I do think that was a red. Horrible tackle, very dangerous
October 16th 2011 @ 1:13pm
C.K said | October 16th 2011 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
Absolutely correct. So what if it killed the game. The tackled player was lifted and fell to the ground and landed on his back. We can all be glad that he wasn’t seriously injured. Good call Rolland, behind you 100%.
October 15th 2011 @ 8:50pm
DJW said | October 15th 2011 @ 8:50pm | Report comment
Never a red, a semi final ruined. Refereeing at this world cup has sunk to a even worse low.
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October 15th 2011 @ 9:32pm
p.Tah said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:32pm | Report comment
Yep, Paddy O’Brian should be looking for a new job. He’s the one leading this lot.
October 17th 2011 @ 8:03am
Rhys said | October 17th 2011 @ 8:03am | Report comment
Of coarse it was a red card! He changed the momentum of Clerk in the tackle, pick him up, turned him over, then dropped him. It was the ref’s only option. What would your reaction have been if clerk had broken his neck???
October 17th 2011 @ 8:43am
p.Tah said | October 17th 2011 @ 8:43am | Report comment
In the light of day Rhys, I agree.
However there have been a few poor ref performances… However lasts nights was well controlled.
October 15th 2011 @ 8:50pm
DJW said | October 15th 2011 @ 8:50pm | Report comment
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October 15th 2011 @ 8:51pm
david said | October 15th 2011 @ 8:51pm | Report comment
if it was a spear tackle it’s a red card. it was one of the amendments brought in by the IRB. that’s the rule. roland have to justify each decision in his report, can’t make up the punishment.
Nigel Owens in 2006, before it was officially changed in the rules to a red card, said “A spear tackle is when you lift an opponent in the air, turn him upside down whilst in the air and force him or drop him to the ground head first. It is very, very dangerous and should be penalized, with a red card or yellow at least.” I
Reckon that was a spear tackle.
October 15th 2011 @ 8:51pm
vaguely said | October 15th 2011 @ 8:51pm | Report comment
That tackle was worse than a punch, I think you have your priorities wrong, Sam J.
I thought it would be yellow, not too shocked it was red. Fair enough call, just too bad the Welsh couldn’t kick and scrape across the line…
October 15th 2011 @ 8:52pm
Johnno said | October 15th 2011 @ 8:52pm | Report comment
Allain Rolland with a french dad. He spoke french during the match. He cheated wales.
Still an Australia VS France final is going to be really good.
October 15th 2011 @ 9:01pm
Colin N said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:01pm | Report comment
“Still an Australia VS France final is going to be really good.”
With two kick-chase sides?
October 15th 2011 @ 9:04pm
Johnno said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:04pm | Report comment
Col you’ll love it lol, you love kick chase rugby mate, it will enertatin the living daylights out of you. I’LL PUT A curse on some rain to make it even more exciting for ya Col.
October 15th 2011 @ 9:20pm
Pot Hale said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:20pm | Report comment
“He spoke French during the match”
Are you serious? He spoke French – he must be banned immediately from reffing again.
He’s also got an Irish mother – so he definitely had it in for the Celtic team.
October 15th 2011 @ 9:26pm
Chris said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:26pm | Report comment
He also spoke English during the match, what is your point?
October 16th 2011 @ 10:06am
peterlala said | October 16th 2011 @ 10:06am | Report comment
Gold.
October 17th 2011 @ 8:10am
Jerry said | October 17th 2011 @ 8:10am | Report comment
Didn’t speak any Welsh though did he? Case closed.
October 17th 2011 @ 9:02am
hands away said | October 17th 2011 @ 9:02am | Report comment
only a sour loser can say that
nothing to do with Rolland’s nationality : it is clearly a dirty dangerous tackle that deserved the red card
October 15th 2011 @ 8:58pm
DJW said | October 15th 2011 @ 8:58pm | Report comment
If he had tackled a forward we wouldn’t be talking about it, he hit a guy 20kg less then him that’s why he went up. He didn’t drive him down at all. I’m an Australian but I’m outraged.
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October 15th 2011 @ 9:01pm
Get real said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:01pm | Report comment
Go look at the rules as published in late December re player safety and spear tackles then go an check how many players have been shown red cards because of spear tackles.
October 15th 2011 @ 9:02pm
John said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:02pm | Report comment
(j) Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play.
Sanction: Penalty kick
from the IRB website
October 15th 2011 @ 9:46pm
Dan said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:46pm | Report comment
Correct, but highly misleading, and not the whole story. That is what 10.4(j) sets out.
10.5 (Sanctions) sets out that for breaches of the Foul Play Law (Law 10), players “must be admonished, or cautioned and temporarily suspended for a period of ten minutes’ playing time, or sent-off.”
So while the ‘sanction’ is a penalty kick (as opposed to, say a scrum or free kick), the player must also be either warned, yellow carded, or red carded.
October 16th 2011 @ 1:39am
DanSA said | October 16th 2011 @ 1:39am | Report comment
Here’s the amendment …
http://www.deepsouthrugbyunion.com/images/IRB_Memorandum_re_Dangerous_Tackles.pdf
October 16th 2011 @ 1:40am
DanSA said | October 16th 2011 @ 1:40am | Report comment
The end of the letter states:
” Referees and Citing Commissioners should not make their decisions based on what they consider was the intention of the offending player. Their decision should be based on an objective assessment (as per Law 10.4 (e)) of the circumstances of the tackle.”
October 16th 2011 @ 6:20pm
Wolfmark said | October 16th 2011 @ 6:20pm | Report comment
Here is the rundown on Law 10.4(j), according to the IRB’s rulebook: “Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play.
“A directive was issued to all Unions and Match Officials in 2009 emphasizing the IRB’s zero-tolerance stance towards dangerous tackles and reiterating the following instructions for referees:
- The player is lifted and then forced or ‘speared’ into the ground (red card offence)
- The lifted player is dropped to the ground from a height with no regard to the player’s safety (red card offence)
- For all other types of dangerous lifting tackles a yellow card or penalty may be considered sufficient
October 15th 2011 @ 9:03pm
Manfred said | October 15th 2011 @ 9:03pm | Report comment
After that there was only ever a slim chance of victory for Wales after that, but there is no doubt that it was the very definition of a spear tackle. IRB have said that a spear tackle is a red card. Was actually a pretty straight forward decision for the ref I thought. Warburton is to blame for the situation, not Roland. It’s a shame.
October 16th 2011 @ 8:50am
Hopperdoggy said | October 16th 2011 @ 8:50am | Report comment
That was shame number 1. No 2 was missing 5 kicks. Inexcusable at this level and the bigger reason Wales lost.