Former international referee Nigel Owens has blasted the disciplinary committee who have overturned the red card handed to Bristol Bears secondrow Josh Caulfield.
Caulfield was sent off during in his team’s Investec Champions Cup clash with Connacht in Galway for making contact with the head of Finlay Bealham with his boot.
Referee Pierre Brousset, in conjunction with assistant referees and the TMO, examined the incident in depth and felt it necessary to brandish the red card.
The decision received mixed feedback online. Several fans felt it was justified, while other fans and players disagreed.
NEW: Bristol lock Josh Caulfield’s red card against Connacht has been overturned.
That’s the right decision for me.
There is no way in this world Josh caulfield has intentionally stamped on his head, every player watching that knows it too.
This looks like a nasty injury and malicious initially but I wonder if Kyle Sinckler’s boot shooting up to the head of Josh Caulfield took him by surprise and he became unaware momentarily. I really hope nobody would do this intentionally. https://t.co/mEmgAxYIjY
Adding his weight to the discussion, Owens disagreed that the incident did not warrant a red card as he took to X (twitter).
How can they say this is foul play but not red card. If it’s not foul play and complete accident then play on. If It’s reckless and foul play then it has to be RC. For what it’s worth it’s a RC for me as it’s not a natural action of rucking and reckless.
What did you make of the incident? Let us know in the comments section below.
One rule for the Bleatingish and another for the SH (Superior Hemisphere). Imagine if a Bokke had done the same thing. The UK press would be on about it until after the next RWC Lottery.
I remember an incident in the final of 2015 when McAwesome’s face was stomped on by our paragon of virtue and nobody said a word.
Wow, it looks a bit malicious to me, even if it wasn’t intended. So, I’ll remind rugby people that back in December or November of 1967, one of the more notorious players of the time, a certain All Black Colin Meads, got sent off in a match versus Scotland for attempting to fly-hack a ball on the ground a tad too close to the head of the Scots scrum half. Personally, I’d like to see yellows and reds done away with and warnings and sending offs come back. It was simpler then in those times: a warning for a punch, foul play, what have you, a sending off if caught again. And sometimes the sending off was straight away for an offense. For a short time there were yellows with no sin bin. Then sin bins. I don’t know if they’ve made the game any safer than before. What has made the game less safe to me is that there is more running of the ball overall, and with those tight shirts, it’s harder to tackle, and therefore collisions of bodies is more likely, and the likelihood of head concussions is a result.
Another reason why Irishmen should never be allowed to officiate in international games.
Former Ireland international Tommy Bowe “arrested” causing mass confusion inline.
