Joe Schmidt has exonerated referee JP Doyle from any blame over Georgia flanker Viktor Kolelisvhili’s unpunished stomp on Ireland debutant Dominic Ryan’s face.
Kolelisvhili is expected to receive a citing for the incident from Ireland’s 49-7 win over the Lelos in Dublin on Sunday.
Referee Doyle waved away Ireland captain Eoin Reddan’s requests for a Television Match Official (TMO) review, saying “I can’t listen to that” during the six-try victory.
Ireland boss Schmidt backed Doyle for not referring the incident, suggesting TMO Jim Yuille should have alerted the referee to potential foul play.
“I think the protocol is that if there is suspected foul play the TMO can intervene, he can let the referee know and then the referee can review it,” said Schmidt.
“Obviously the incident had passed, and I think by the time Eoin spoke to the referee the game had moved on a little bit, and he heard nothing from the TMO.
“So according to the protocol I think he acted correctly.
“There’s not really much else that JP Doyle could have done.
“That’s just the way it works.
“It’s something that I know is being talked about a fair bit: they may change those protocols at some stage.
“Currently his (Doyle’s) hands were tied a little bit: he didn’t see it himself personally, Luke Pearce on the touchline didn’t see it.
“Therefore if there was an incident then that has to be dealt with by the TMO pretty much in close proximity in time, otherwise once the game goes on it’s pretty hard to go a long way back.
“It didn’t look great at the end of it, but I didn’t see how it occurred.
“Rugby is a game where things can happen.”
Halfback Reddan, captaining Ireland for the first time, also refused to lay any criticism at referee Doyle, but admitted he believes world rugby chiefs may tinker with the TMO rules.
“Dominic, his eye was sore, he just asked me to ask the ref to have a look at it,” said Reddan.
“I asked the ref, he said he wasn’t in a position to do that.
“I think the powers that be are on top of it and they are talking about it.
“If there’s something very, very bad there maybe the assistant referee should step in, and maybe the TMO can look at it himself.
“At the same time the game’s got to flow and it’s up to the referees and the powers that be to make sure that happens.”
Georgia’s Kiwi boss Milton Haig conceded that Kolelisvhili will now in all probability face disciplinary action.
“I certainly saw it on the replay,” said Haig.
“I know Viktor and he certainly wouldn’t be doing anything like that intentionally.”
atlas
Guest
Here's the challenge - was Viktor Kolelisvhili cited? If so thought it would have been news by now, time for citing has expired; is it possible the citing commissioner viewed all the angles and decided it was not intentional? Surprised if that's the case, thought boot to head, intentional or not, would warrant a hearing, even an off-field yellow.
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
S--t happens in a ruck. There was a time not too long ago that you were regularly stomped on when you laid on the bottom of a ruck. And you deserved to be stomped on for laying there I watched the play and the subsequent replay and thought that it looked a bit awful but the Georgian player did not do it purposely so this is a storm in a tea cup. Move on from this, it was an entertaining match for the most part, I really enjoyed the first half then Georgia fell away in the second half. I thought it was a good performance from Georgia. I also was impressed with Ireland and the Wallabies should be very nervous for their up-coming match
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
I agree although there was no stomp merely a misplaced step so it was purely accidental
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
I completely agree no malice whatsoever
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
I didn't mean to hurt your feelings mate just telling you some people see it your way and some people see it mine but trust me there was no malice ive been trod on before but i dont get up and smack the guy because unless he tried to hurt you with a stomp/kick it was most likely an accident dont think im a troll because we have differing opinions just deal with the fact not everyone agrees with you
Swamprat
Guest
No place for stomping on anyone's face in any context. How times have changed. I just watched 40 year old doc of All Blacks v Llanelli game where it seemed to be acceptable.
Elk
Guest
Can you be anymore trollish? All players have duty of care, he knows there are bodies down there even if there was no 'malice' (which I strongly believe there was). Practically grappling with another player? He was the instigator and had no reason to begin grappling. What he should have down was walk backwards away from any potential conflict. Not try inflame things by grabbing an Irish player. The whistle had just been blown and the irish player was about to get up, it's not like he's been lying there for several minutes. Yes he didn't stomp. He did not power down with his foot as hard as he could, congrats to you you managed to see something correct in the video. But it does not exempt him from blatantly standing on another players face. Go troll somewhere else.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
Get over it. There was no malice in it the player is fine and everybody is having a good old fashion cry over something that effected absolutely nothing. Had he of stepped on his hand nobody would have said anything. Plus the guys not looking down its not his job to look where he is stepping when hes practically grappling with another player he is focused on the task at hand. The irish player shouldve moved but in any case its nobodies fault this is rugby and people get trod on. He didnt stomp otherwise our irish friend wouldnt have an eye anymore :)
madrid john
Guest
Looks pretty accidental to me. The Geogrian nearly falls over himself and his first instinct seems to be to bend down and see if the Irish bloke is ok. I´m an Aussie who always supports Irleand in 6 nations, but can´t say the Georgian deserves much. It looks totally accidental and doesn´t deserve much of a punishment, because of the lack of intent. Certainly doesn´t desrve to be called "stomping". By the way, good luck to the Irish this weekend and come on the wallabies.
Elk
Guest
He looked down when the Irish player came running in. He then decided he would engage the other Irish player and with eyes fixed on him he reaches out to grab him then steps into the spot that he just looked at. Just because he didn't look down as he did the act it does not mean he didn't know what was there. It was incredibly sly and cruel I hope he gets punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Gilbert
Guest
I'm a neutral as far as the game goes and I've only seen the video on here, but I would be disappointed if the Georgian player got off very lightly for this. He may not be looking down at the Irish player but he knows he's there and more or less where his head is. To step so carelessly on the face is negligent and dangerous whether he meant to or not. I've seen "high tackle" and "taken in the air" incidents that looked more accidental than this and yet the player got penalised and even carded. Looking at this a few times, it's so clumsy that I'm not even convinced it was entirely accidental. I agree that some benefit of the doubt is due, but not much.
Just working on a video now, the replay looked bad because of the zoom, if you go to the initial footage the player isn't looking down at the Irish player, definately wasn't deliberate. Ref should have checked it however
Derm
Roar Guru
This headline is getting more and more exaggerated, every time I see it crop up. It wasn't a stomp per se. Stomp implies an intentional stamp down on a player. If you look at the clip - available in a few places - then it shows the Georgian flanker, Viktor Kolelisvhili, on one side of a ruck that's just been blown up by the ref. There's a bit of shoving and pushing and the Georgian player goes to step over the ruck to push an Irish player back, minor stuff. He misjudges stepping over and his boot comes down on Dominc Ryan's face. In close up it looks horrible but the wide shot provides the context. It was an accident, in my view. He may get cited, but I hope that the penalty is not too harsh, if he is.