All Blacks fullback Jordie Barrett was sent off for kicking Wallabies’ Marika Koroibete flush in the face as he claimed a high kick during the first half of Bledisloe 3 in Perth.
Barrett looked stunned as he was red carded by Australian ref Damon Murphy in the 28th minute. The All Blacks led 13-0 at the time and under the rules of The Rugby Championship, Barrett can be replaced by another player after 20 minutes. The new rule was brought in to prevent red cards spoiling the result.
The red divided fans and commentators. Barrett leapt high with knee bent then moved his foot out catching Koroibete in the face.
“I think it’s good that we’ve got a 20 minute red card at the moment because it’s certainly not malicious,” said Wallabies coach Dave Rennie post game. “But based on law when you when you field a ball and you kick your foot out and kick someone in the head, there’s got to be repercussions for that.
“I think that decision is probably accurate and the fact it’s only 20 minutes is a good thing.”
“As he went up he ended up having to tilt his body in the air so it’s probably natural for his leg to come out,” said former All Black Andrew Mehrtens on the Stan Sport commentary.
“I thought it was gonna lead to a yellow, and justifiably, but a red? Wow.”
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Co-commentator and ex-Wallaby Drew Mitchell felt the ref made the right call.
“I think going through it, it’s direct contact with the foot to the head,” said Mitchell. “Going by the letter of the law that’s constitutes a red card.
“Accidental or not, you reverse this and you say it’s a shoulder, it’s going to be the same outcome.
“It’s a tough one. We’re sitting here thinking it’s partially accidental, but by the letter of the law the referee’s got that right.
Mehrtens added: “In the old system, you would have got a yellow. I think the fact that they know it’s not going to reduce them to 14 men for the rest of the game can weigh on that and then they can have a better look at it.”
Former All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams, speaking at halftime, said: “Obviously, it was accidental at best. In our game we need to protect our players but we need to protect the game as well.”
The decision caused division on social media
Barrett went straight to Koroibete in the aftermath of the incident to check he was okay, but looked surprised by the decision.
elvis
Roar Rookie
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TP12
Roar Rookie
He won't because the red card being rescinded means he, and every kick receiver, now has a green light to stick their boot out like that. Unfortunate in the sense Marika copped it in the face but let's not be in any doubt that kick receivers are increasingly doing this to clear space and make sure they don't get smashed by a well timed and legal tackle Marika did absolutely nothing wrong
Timnaik O'Shaughnessy
Roar Rookie
I respectfully disagree. IMO it was just an unfortunate incident. Jordie will now be more aware of his jumping technique and make the adjustment. The same way Marika no longer takes out jumpers. You live, you learn.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Yes you did, for me though it was not the right outcome as now I fear that more players will do this. Anyway it is good to have a debate as long as it is respectful. Next time I will get you though :happy:
piru
Roar Rookie
Clearly its being trained into the New Zealand rugby system as a tactic. Yes, John Kreese has taken over coaching the highball throughout NZ
piru
Roar Rookie
Yep cheers I was right though as it turns out, so....
TP12
Roar Rookie
Yeah I guess it is. I can't say I'm happy with that decision. Now we have a precedent that every kick receiver is gonna have his boot out. We already know it was being coached. We've been through it in Aussie Rules and the NRL already
piru
Roar Rookie
It's all a bit moot now I suppose isn't it? GG
TP12
Roar Rookie
Is he supposed to run in face backwards? And kicking out your boot, studs up, at head height isn't reckless? Most of us here have played before and you don't need to kick out like that. We've got years of international rugby where it doesn't happen so that argument doesn't hold water at all I don't think you've really thought through your argument.
TP12
Roar Rookie
It's not a hypothetical to say Marika was lining him up to tackle him when his boot touches the grass; that's what was happening. And he's perfectly entitled to do it.
Jimbob
Roar Rookie
Are you talking about a regular situation of player carrying the ball in open play – I would assume if the injury is very clearly that severe the ref immediately blows the whistle and stops the game. I can’t actually see any offence there if the player has lost his feet – if it’s a top level game there is TMO – club level I couldn’t guess what a ref might do. Based on my reading of the rules there is no offence though. 9.1 Foul play – Players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others. That’s the closet rule I can find to apply here – so it would ultimately be the refs judgement if the tackler chose to recklessly or dangerously complete the tackle when he could otherwise have avoided slamming his knee into another players face or if he had no chance to alter his trajectory, the impact of his knee or he wilful drove into the others players face. In the end it’s refs interpretation. Did the tackler choose to complete the tackle in a way that was reckless or dangerous or did he have no chance to try and avoid causing GBH to the other player? In this case it’s your scenario so I guess you would choose which interpretation. If it’s not dangerous or reckless it would be a scrum restart – if was either of those things old mate gets sent off and given the level of the damage may actually be open to civil legal action as well. It just depends how outside of the rules the action was really and how much it could have been avoided. Accidental contact in open play is different from fielding/contesting a high ballthough – it’s defined as distinct instance in the laws and has both the dangerous play rules governing it – that rule is below – as you probably guess from looking at it it’s absolutely not enforced in any way that resembles the situation in practice though. 9.7 A player must not tackle, charge, pull, push or grasp an opponent whose feet are off the ground. A reasonable application of that rule as written gives the catcher maximum protection and has not been applied in that way for a long time. A case might be made for a stricter application for player welfare. The Barrett case though the ref saw the lifted leading leg and studs up position of the foot along with the fact that koroibete wasn’t doing anything that is outlined in 9.7 as clearly being dangerous and from there had to send him off.
piru
Roar Rookie
If Jordy was falling back maybe Marika stops before smashing him. It didn’t happen so we’ll never know. I don't disagree with that, but you were the one who was making hypotheticals, I was just making one the other way
Timnaik O'Shaughnessy
Roar Rookie
Hi Jimbob, just curious. How would you adjudicate the following scenario: Player A is running into the defensive line and just as he reaches the defender (player B) he slips and in falling forward slams his face into player B's knee breaking his jaw in two places and knocking himself out. All this happens in a split second and player B continues with the tackling motion and strips the downed player of the ball and plays on. Question. Did player B commit a cardable offence or can this be chalked down to a series of unfortunate events?
Timnaik O'Shaughnessy
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately, Koroibete running in face first into the contest didn't help his cause. He may have been a little wary of taking out a player in the air as he has done in the past. But that red card was not the right call. Of course player safety is paramount, but the act was, in my opinion, not intentional or even reckless. If you've ever jumped to take a bomb (which, let's be honest, few of us have ever done even on a good day), you will cock the forward leg and then extend it in the movement, its reflexive. How far you extend the leg depends but let's remember that Jordie is 6 foot 5 and his daddy longs have to go somewhere. So having said that, a simple apology to Koroibete would've sufficed and the ref could have stopped play to make sure Marika wasn't too shaken. And play on.
Colvin Brown
Roar Guru
I'm not trying to sugercoat it. I don't believe in red cards. I believe they have ruined the game as they are currently adjudicated. I come from a rugby background where there were no red cards and the only people sent off were those that committed the most egregious acts. We currently have people calling for cards because they want the opposition to lose a player to help their team win. That's not rugby. Put me in the same mindset on these issues as Colin Meads. I accept the game has changed and that the laws must change too. But I don't accept Hollywood's where there was an element on Sunday. These Hollywood's are designed to influence the officials and public and have no place in the game. It seemed to me that Barrett took risks that threatened himself as well as Koro and went too far. On the other hand Koro didn't get out of the immediate space as he have should have and went Hollywood. Clearly reading the comments on Roar other sports in Australia have had similar issues to deal with and have done so. Let's see how the Rugby's judiciary deal with it.
TP12
Roar Rookie
Marika needs to get out of the way? He's not allowed to rush in and make a tackle as Jordy's boot touches the ground? Bearing in mind he's still got two steps to take before her have been able to make the tackle...You sure about all that? Why isn't the studs up at head height kick out from Jordy dangerous play? This is silly. The right decision was made.
TP12
Roar Rookie
So he has a technique issue that needs to be looked at I hope you read your last sentence back to yourself and regretted it
TP12
Roar Rookie
A boot to the face is serious
TP12
Roar Rookie
He wasn't falling back. Marika played what was in front of him and would have timed a great tackle. It wasn't off at all, that's wishful thinking. That's the risk going to the air to kick receive, you can get smashed when you land That doesn't make you entitled to protect yourself with a dangerous play. If Jordy was falling back maybe Marika stops before smashing him. It didn't happen so we'll never know.
TP12
Roar Rookie
Rubbish. He's running in and no-one expects a ninja kick to the head. Get out of here. You're not entitled to a dangerous action to protect yourself. You go to the air for a kick receive and you risk being smashed as soon as your boot touches the ground again. Perfectly legally