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Did Bernard Le Roux double dip with a second trip after being sin binned for same offence?
By Josh Raisey
Andy Goode and many eagle-eyed viewers on social media have spotted an attempted trip by France’s Bernard Le Roux on Irish scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park on Sunday.
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The French No.6 had already been shown a yellow card earlier in first half for a trip on Keith Earls, and footage has emerged of the Racing 92 flanker attempting another sly trip in the final play of the first half as the Leinster No.9 went to charge down a kick to touch.
“When you’ve already been given a yellow card for tripping you think Bernard Le Roux might have learnt his lesson?! He has another go with the last play of the half!! Watch the bottom left of your screen, yellow boots red scrum cap.”
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When you’ve already been given a yellow card for tripping you think Bernard Le Roux might have learnt his lesson?! He has another go with the last play of the half!! Watch the bottom left of your screen, yellow boots red scrum cap 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/5OI7Su0EUt
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) February 14, 2021
Had referee Luke Pearce seen this, the 31-year-old could have received a second yellow card of the match, although it may have required some theatrics from Gibson-Park. This would have put France down to 14 men for the entirety of the second half at the Aviva Stadium.
In a Guinness Six Nations that has already seen two red cards, Peter O’Mahony’s and Zander Fagerson’s, Le Roux could have been sent off for something so petty and needless, particularly when taking into account how far Gibson-Park was from reaching the kicker.
REF WATCH: 'Decision making in rugby is often not black and white, and I am going to have to disagree with the great Mr Owens on this one.'
Former ref Paul Smith 👨💻 unpacks a controversial #sixnations weekend https://t.co/jpaKnajDzk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 14, 2021
These are the kind of lapses in discipline that dogged French rugby over the past decade and were the deciding factors in results. Under Fabien Galthié it looks as though Les Bleus have turned a corner in terms of their wanton indiscretions, but a red card for two trips has all the hallmarks of the old France.
As it turns out, France actually scored one of their two tries in the match while Le Roux was off, and won that ten minute period. They may not have been so successful for an entire half however.
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