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'It will now be trial by jury on social media... and it's wrong'
By Liam Heagney
Friday night’s controversy about Saracens No10 Owen Farrell made for riveting live TV viewing on BT Sport as former England internationals Austin Healey and Lawrence Dallaglio were left bemused by referee Karl Dickson’s decision not to review the potential red card tackle.
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There was 74:22 gone on the Gallagher Premiership clock when the right shoulder of recent England skipper Farrell collided with the head of the ball-carrying Jack Clement on the Gloucester ten-metre line.
After the ball carrier went to ground, the play was only stopped six phases later by the referee with the ball having gone into touch inside the Saracens 22 with 76:18 now on the clock.
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With Farrell going down injured for some treatment, the stoppage allowed BT to show a replay of the Saracens skipper’s tackle on Clement and it was only after this piece of footage was broadcast that TMO Claire Hodnett alerted referee Karl Dickson to what had taken place. Here is how the audio unfolded on TV:
Healey: “How have they not looked at that?”
We probably haven't heard the last of this one ?#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/7DIsJiwCp8
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 6, 2023
Dallaglio: “Well, I think they will. They have to.”
Healey: “They have to look at that.”
Hodnett: “Karl, foul play by Owen Farrell.”
Dickson: “Is it in the same phase of play? If you are not sure it is in the same phase of play we can’t look at that. If it is in the same phase of play we can look at it. If it’s not we can’t.”
Hodnett: “It was back on the Gloucester 22.”
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Dickson: “Was it in the same phase of play? If you can’t say we are going to play on.
Hodnett: I can’t tell you definitely.”
With play allowed to restart without any review of the suggested foul play, the match eventually culminated with Farrell landing the drop goal winner to seal Saracens’ 19-16 win. However, the post-match TV debate insisted the England out-half should not have been on the pitch to score the winning points and he now faces a likely citing and a ban that could threaten his availability for the opening match of the Six Nations versus Scotland on February 4.
Healey: “He will be cited, it’s a definite red card. That type of tackle we are trying to eradicate from the game. He wouldn’t have been on the field if it had been spotted earlier. It’s foul play, there is force. I don’t think there is much mitigation. There is not much dip in the tackle so for me, it’s a red card.”
?? INJURY TIME DROP GOAL WINNER ??
One of the best @premrugby games this season is settled by a late kick from @Saracens captain Owen Farrell!#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/pVLegqI6tG
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 6, 2023
Dallaglio: “It is foul play, that is a red card. Where we need clarification – and I am embarrassed to say – is we don’t know whether you can go back for foul play after a number of phases and that is the problem. I thought with foul play it doesn’t matter how many phases happen.”
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Healey: “When Hodnett called it in, Karl said it wasn’t in the same phase which I don’t think is entirely right. I’m sure that the officials will look at it, how they adjudicated on it.”
Dallaglio: “There will be a lot of controversy around this. An outstanding player, no doubt. He is all smiles but he may not be all smiles when James Hall, the citing commissioner, has another look at it and probably cites him.”
Healey: “My thoughts were… if there is a clear indication of foul play and it’s a red card I think you can go back… There are new directives now trying to keep the pace of the game up and the interruptions of the TMO slightly down. Maybe there is some confusion over that because for me that is something they should have gone back to.”
It was at this point in the broadcast, with Gloucester supporters in the background chanting ‘Same old Sarries, always cheating’, that the coverage broke away to an interview with George Skivington. The Gloucester coach opted not to comment directly on the Farrell incident but he instead referenced a sin-binning last week for his team which resulted in a two-game ban for Albert Tuisue as it was the No8’s third foul play yellow card this season.
Skivington: “Do you know what, I’m not allowed to comment on things like that but I do know we got a yellow card last week for something much lower level than that and frustrating probably is the word.”
It was when the broadcast now went back to the presenter Craig Doyle that a law clarification was provided, outlining that there was nothing to stop referee Dickson from reviewing the Farrell incident with his TMO as the play had not restarted since the ball went into touch.
Healey: “Hodnett got it absolutely right. As I said before, my belief was you could carry on playing and go back as many phases as you want until the game got started again. Claire called it in and Karl said was it in the last phase? She said no it wasn’t and he said well I can’t go back to it then, which was actually wrong.”
Dallaglio: “Had the game been restarted since it happened? No. It doesn’t matter how many phases, the game hadn’t been restarted. It was still in the same phase of play and really it should have been looked at. We all know what the outcome would have been and it might have been a better outcome for Owen Farrell and for the game because if he gets red-carded during the game, that is a sanction in itself and that carries a certain amount of weeks off.
“Now he is going to be cited for that because I am pretty sure the citing officer will have to step in and do something and it could be consequential not only for the individual who has been outstanding but also for England and the start of the Six Nations.”
"We wanted to fight and scrap for everything and we did that."@Saracens DOR Mark McCall was pleased with the determination shown by his team at Gloucester.#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/fZ5MGiFRH9
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 6, 2023
The coverage now switched to an interview with Saracens boss Mark McCall, who insisted he wasn’t aware Farrell had put in a tackle that could have been red-carded.
McCall: “That’s news to me, actually… What you have said to me is completely news to me as you can see from my reaction.”
The programme next reverted to the BT pundits again, who wrapped up the commentary on the Farrell controversy that had dominated their commentary on the Saracens win.
Healey: “It seems such a shame that we are talking about this so much after what was an absolutely brilliant game.”
Dallaglio: “Also, Owen Farrell is a player we all think incredibly highly of. We were all waxing lyrically about him last week. By not dealing with the situation during the game it will now be trial by jury on social media and there are a lot of not England fans that love to have an attack and have a go at Owen Farrell.
“If the referee sanctions him on the field that doesn’t happen. Now it hasn’t happened, you watch this space, you watch what will happen this week and Owen Farrell will end up getting worse off and it is wrong. The player is an outstanding player who has made a bad misjudgement in his tackle and we all do that.”
Farrel at his best - no arms!
Can someone educate me on how long the Citing Commissioner has to cite a player for foul play? I thought it was 24 hours, by which count as we haven't, or I haven't, heard anything about any citing of OF. If that is the case, then he has got away with it and it brings the oficiating of the game into disrepute.
Roger
It seems to me that Saracens are getting away with to much,the week before against Exeter there second try should not have been allowed and the scored another from a lineout that wasn’t straight when Exeter earlier had been penalised
She definitely picked it up straight away. Ref had the power at anytime to stop the game. Should f stopped the game and gone back. I like Saracens team too but that should of been red by the laws of the game. Farrell always gets away with shite tactics.
The smiling Farrell rat does this all the time. He is a poor tackler all around. He gets away with this crap all the time!!
Owen Farrell has a massive history of doing this and getting away with it, seems he wears an invisible cloak. The inconsistencies in rugby rulings of high tackles is a blight on the game
Its about time they bring in lengthy bans for repeat offenders. Farrell is pure dirt. Intentionally trying to injury players. 1 year ban, it must be his 7-8 time.
It's rather rich of Lawrence to state that it's unfair on Owen Farrell because "it will now be a trial by jury on social media". He shouldn't have offered his thoughts on social media in the first place, if he was concerned.
My view on the issue is that, how on Earth did the TMO not see the incident in the first place? Not paying attention? You see so many examples of trivial pick ups by TMOs but not serious ones and especially ones by a player prone to tackling in this manner? The Referee can't have eyes everywhere, which is why he/she has the assistance of the TMO and his assistants, who all must be sponsored by Specsavers. Very poor officiating all round.
What a waste of time reading this. He should have had red or Yellow at the time. The referee had a bad game for both sides all night; this was the icing on the cake. Farrell should and I hope will be cited and get the proper penalty. If it affects his 6 nations it's his own fault. I say that as an England supporter. It is only a miracle his constant high tackling hasn't cost club and country more to date. This "article" is just more of Liam Heagney regurgitating other people's words and adding nothing but the usual click bate headline.