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'Disappointing from a British Lion' - Liam Williams ref comment after red card didn't play well with some fans
By Ian Cameron
A comment made by Wales star Liam Williams after he was sent off in Scarlets derby match with Cardiff Blues has not played well with fans online, with the fullback coming in for some hefty criticism.
Williams propelled himself headlong into a ruck in the 37th minute and clashed heads with Cardiff Blues flanker Shane Lewis-Hughes, and after several TMO replays, referee Craig Evans sent him off.
However the ref mic picked up the British and Irish Lion saying to the referee: "Going to start playing touch is it?" before he turned and walked off.
Liam Williams backchat pic.twitter.com/pcr24aUIXc
— John Morgan™ ? (@Jay_P_M) January 9, 2021
It was clipped up by a fan and the cheeky back chat didn't play well with most, some describing it as 'petulant'.
"Last time I checked touch rugby didn't involve contact with the head of a player with no sight of the oncoming hit. I'm sure there will be people once again saying "game's gone soft" but it was a red and hope Liam Williams' comments to the ref are punished separately."
Simon Thomas tweeted: "Not a great a comment there from Liam Willaims" and "Once referee Craig Evans went through the framework there, he had no real option but to red card Liam Williams. Reckless entry to the ruck and connected directly with the head of SLH. Ticked the boxes."
= Disappointing from a British Lion. Hopefully, the day just got the better of him.
— Peter N Ellison (@Peter01471485) January 9, 2021
Interestingly a very similar comment by Springbok Duane Vermeulen a few weeks back was lauded by South African fans. Both Vermeulen and fellow Springbok Lukhanyo Am were called forward by the referee after two yellow cards had been handed out for dangerous tackles in a match between the Sharks and the Bulls.
An agitated Vermeulen turned to Am and said: “Maybe we should play touchies [touch rugby]?” The referee at least saw the funny side of the great Bok’s remark. That comment was delivered with a smile on his face and directed at Am, rather than the referee.
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Latest Comments
I agree.
I’d like to know what constitutes a 208 week ban though?
Must the eyeball be dislodged? Hanging by a vein?
Go to commentsAlso a Bristol fan and echo your sentiments.
I love watching Bristol but their approach will only get them so far I think. Exeter played like this when they first got promoted to the prem and had intermittent success, it wasn't until they wised up and played a more balanced game that they became a consistently top side.
I really want Bristol to continue playing this brand of rugby and I don't mind them running it from under their posts but I don't think they need to do it every single time. They need to be just a little bit more selective about when and where on the pitch they play. Every game they put themselves under so much needless pressure by turning the ball over under their posts trying to do kamikaze moves when it's not required. By all means run it from your goal line if there is a chance for a counter attack, we all want to see Bristol running in 100m tries from under their posts but I think until they learn when to do it and when to be pragmatic, they are unlikely to win the premiership.
Defense has been a real positive from Bristol, they've shown a lot of improvement there... And I will say that I think this kamikaze strategy they employ is a very good one for a struggling side and could be employed by Newcastle. It's seems to have turned around Gloucester's fortunes. The big advantage is even if you don't have the biggest and best players, what you have is cohesion. This is why Scotland keep battering England. England have better individuals but they look muddled as a team, trying to play a mixed strategy under coaches who lack charisma, the team has no identity. Scotland come out and give it full throttle from 1-15 even if they struggle against the top sides, sides like England and Wales who lack that identity drown under the relentless will and synergy of the Scots. If Newcastle did the same they could really surprise some people, I know the weather is bad up there but it hasn't bothered the Scots. Bristol can learn from Scotland too, Pat is on to something when he says the following but Scotland don't play test matches like headless chickens. They still play with the same level of clarity and ambition Bristol do but they are much better at picking their moments. They needed to go back to this mad game to get their cohesion back after a couple of seasons struggling but I hope they get a bit wiser from matches like Leinster and La Rochelle.
“If there’s clarity on what you’re trying to do as a team you can win anything.”
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