Nigel Owens gives a referee's take on the Jordie Barrett red-card incident

Anyone who has played and taken a high ball themselves knows that's not true There's decades of international rugby that also died that's not true. Then add in what we've seen in rugby league and AFL and we know that's not true They brought in THEIR expert to argue THEIR case, that's all

It doesn't need to be intentional to be dangerous or reckless It's a boot contacting the face unnecessarily at head height, studs up. Surely that's a red card all day long?

Sure different sports but some similarities too.. One obviously is 2 or more players contesting a ball in the air.. Football in the interests of protecting the players has a no showing of studs when contesting and if you do and you make contact its unambiguous, you’re off. .. There is no reason Rugby can’t have the same.. None at all….Barrett broke no rules contesting for the ball with his foot in the air.. But by then making contact it became a subjective decision of intent. The ref went for dangerous intent, red card, the citing committee went the other way.. It’s very messy. It’s Also in a microcosm a reflection what’s happening in rugby generally.. The Law Book has become a story book and that story is being allowed to be told any way the ref chooses.. So footballs example is to keep its Laws as simple as possible, removing any risk of misinterpretation.. Watch this space.. That’s exactly where Erasmus hearing with World Rugby is going to head.

Yes, but soccer is technically a non contact sport. It's much easier to make such cut and dry rules when any collisions between players are supposed to be incidental. I'm sure if you tackled an opponent in volleyball you'd get their equivalent of a red card, too.

There's a clear coaching lesson here: Don't end up in a position where your studs are facing the opponent. A knee to the chest would probably not even attract a penalty.

Sad so many here see such an innocuous incident as an opportunity to denigrate the All Blacks and their fans. Jordie was punished but escaped further censure which is probably the right outcome. I thought it should it have been a yellow at the time. Glad Marika is okay and pleased to see the 20minute trial means perhaps less adverse outcomes for all teams going forward which is positive for the game.

A red card should always have a clear coaching lesson from it. What do I avoid? What do I coach against? So, in this case, JB lost his balance as he jumped. Is the coaching tip: 'You must land on your coccyx?' That will never work. And it flies against player safety. It is precisely why we card tacklers who play someone who has jumped well and owns the space--and cause a tail-landing or worse (head/spine). JB will always do something automatically to try to avoid that. So, the red card would then be for being a poor jumper. That's too harsh. Sometimes a foot comes into contact with a head and it is NOT a foul. It is just part of the dynamic match.

All missing the point here.. I Said this a previous post... In football if you show your studs and make contact with an opponent.. Red card.. It doesn't make the slightest difference if you intended to or not...you did, take a shower.. It's clear cut. That takes all speculation, interpretation or debate out the equation.. It also removes any questionable motive by the perpetrator.... In rugby we have 20 different referees giving 20 different opinions after the fact.. We have post match commissions overiding referees, even lawyers present.. and we have huge debate amongst fans.. So who said rugby is not an over complicated game?

Perhaps that is why Barnes received death threats. I spend time in NZ and Barnes was regularly criticised for a long time but I will concede less in recent times. But do not pretend he was not subject to anti social abuse for a long time. And the venom in your response is indicative of how Kiwis respond when they perceive any comments/ actions that does not fit in with their perceptions.

Well done, Juggler, you are 100% correct. You restore my faith. Shame some of your more vociferous countrymen are not as intelligent.

Gob jerker aka objerktive

Hume - from Auckland, and who refers to him in a supposedly official submission as “Jordie”. And Sayers, a former biomechanist and skills coach of the All Blacks. Oh dear. Whaddya reckon they’d say, suspend him ????!!!! Soooooo independent & objective (pun intended). If that’s the best you’ve got, give it away.

Yawwwn!

Gob jerker?? Also I told him to look at my previous posts in Roar. Now who cannot read, once again Gob jerker? When do you go to secondary school?

You sound like yet another Australian who thinks they know what New Zealanders think. I am a kiwi and am happy with red card as well as being disappointed that he wasn't banned for at least a couple of matches. The pseudo scientific defence is irrelevant - if you can't catch the ball without sticking your studs in someones face don't catch the ball. The point on which you are hoisted on your own petard is this - New Zealand rugby fans do not hate Wayne Barnes - he is respected in New Zealand - they have long since moved on from 2007, something you self evidently have not been able to do. But by all means continue with your ignorant, ill informed memes that continue to inform you ill informed view of the world.

Yes Nigel but you didn’t take into account he is an All Black, at which point he is allowed to risk permanent debilitating injury to another player with no sanction. In fact, since he is wearing the coveted black jersey that embodies 844,000 years of history, it was the recipient of the boot who should have got the red card.

That’s all very well and good. But what is the difference between reckless and accidental? I could argue it was reckless of JB as a professional footballer, a guy that plays fullback or wing as a professional player, with years of experience to put himself in that situation. He recklessly ran in too fast, got into a poor position and recklessly continued to field the ball knowing he was not positioned correctly. If this was a prop, it might be the first time ever they have been required to run in and catch a high ball after jumping… anything they do would be accidental as it is a new skill. Kinda like hitting a stinger at the range boy as a pro golfer. You know you can do it, you know you could hit him… versus a first time golfer blading a wedge.

I think a 20 minute RC was justified but not any further sanction. The outcomes is probably right...although how we got to it not.

Here's a report of the EXPERT biomechanical evidence that was presented in the hearing: "Professor Patria Hume of the Auckland University of Technology and Professor Mark Sayers of the University of Sunshine Coast provided the team with independent biomechanical analysis of the incident. Hume said Barrett used a standard technique of raising his knee to gain jump height, but because he had overrun the ball and had to lean back to collect it, the act in question was a necessary movement to avoid putting himself at risk of injury. "Jordie did not 'kick' his leg out as his knee angle remained close to 90 degrees from the time of takeoff from the ground to the impact on Koroibete's body during the landing," Hume said."

No need for kiwi hate, it is Owens' opinion and as a South African I disagree about the red card. At no point whilst catching the ball does he look at Koirobete. It is accidental.