That really is pish. The Samoans were pinged 4 times for high tackles,yet none of them were worth a hearing. Two incidents nobody saw until the TMO watched the whole match again are highlighted. A week added to discourage that type of play as well,what about Hooper and SoB’s extra week to discourage “that type of play?”

FTFY.

That alone does not justify the theoretical cost.

Bosch is cited for 10.4(e) which is various types of dangerous tackle, but not the tip tackle which is specifically covered by 10.4(j), for which Gray and Ford were cited. The only way I can see that Bosch’s wasn’t a tip tackle as the Namibian is not the ball carrier at the time. Shirley a tip tackle is a tip tackle?

Incidentally, Bosch admitted he’d done it. Gray and Ford denied theirs.

EDIT: 10.4(j) makes no mention of tackling – just lifting the player in the air. Hmmm. Odd.

Gray and Ford were cited for tip and dangerous tackles respectively. Nonsense.

Dangerous play perhaps, playing without due care and attention maybe (if it exists), but it was a ruck not a tackle so the actual citing is baloney.

Not a tackle and to tip the Samoan horizontally they’d have had to raise his head.

If Australia go on to win this RWC (and they should beat Scotland with or without Gray and Ford) it will be stained by the fact that their guys felt it necessary to bring this citing.

Had they brought it for bad rucking I’d have some sympathy with them.

Unbelievable.

Seanie last night…

Agreed. I’ve not seen the tackles again so can’t comment on whether should have been cited, nor do I really think really it will be the difference between Scotland winning or loosing. But it just doesnt sit right. Surely there where plenty of other officials who could have done the job, he shouldnt have been given that role anyway given it was known for days before that the winner of that match might have faced aus.

Australia have just beaten Wales and England they are certainly not afraid off full strength Scotland. It’s a co-incidence the citing official is Australian and in any case it’s not a decision made by a single person. The rules have worked in Scotland’s favour in this RWC as Japan got only 4 days rest

Jambalya – decision to cite is a single person decision and the commissioner I think is meant to be independent. I agree the sanction is by committee. Would an independent have sent it to committee when the ref is right there? We’ll never know.
As for the Japan 4 days thing, Scotland had 4 days turnaround against the USA and still beat them by s bigger margin than Japan did. Would S-J have been closer with more rest? Probably. Would Japan have won? Probably not, but Scotland would have been short of one of their bonus points so if Japan could have managed a losing bonus point it would have gotten tight – but even then without USA or Samoa bonus points Japan would still have gone out.
Ifs, buts and maybes are great though.

AA – Samoan is always in contact with the ground / player on ground. Not good but doesn’t meet the definitions. Lots of things on a rugby field are dangerous.

Clearly dangerous. Daft to deny it

Don’t think anyone’s denying it. Just that it’s seen in every game (or in the case of this game not seen until the citing commissioner wen through the whole match again).

In the SA game Nigel Owens didn’t even YC Pietersen’s tip tackle on Vernon because ‘there was no intention’. There was no citation after the game either.

There was no intention in the Gray Ford incident either and yet it merited a five week ban.

So, not saying it’s not dangerous, just that the whole situation is completely **** up.

I am not sure if it is because I am Scottish or if it is because I am a rugby fan (probably both) but the Ford, Gray ban is a total nonsense on many levels.

The incident was clearly not malicious and frankly there were dozens of more dangerous acts committed in pretty much every game played. Australia will beat us regardless (false optimism 10 mins before the start will still of course be present) but rugby has lost out here.

I have little doubt that the Australian official deliberately looked for something. Australia are fierce competitors at every sport. Gaining an edge in any way possible is what makes them successful. In no way shape or form should an Aussie been in the chain here but…… Ultimately common sense should have applied. Maybe it is time to move to full blown touch rugby?

Of course it is,remind me of the half time score again.

The judgement is there for anyone to read. The x ½ is not just because he said sorry.

citing?

To rip off someone else’s comment… just imagine Tuilagi reading the decision and thinking “so it’s better to punch somebody than run hard on a rugby pitch.”

Regarding the time of the hearing, maybe SOB and the Irish team choke tackled the panel and held them up in a 7 hour maul? 😀

SOB has a back hand in his repertoire too but I do have more sympathy for this one

Good to see that chip on your shoulder hasn’t gotten any smaller Jambalaya 😉