I've just watched a video of the Mike Brown incident in the Argentina game (probably the most exciting thing that happened in the 80 minutes).
I'm still not quite sure how the ref reached a decision of yellow card for the Argentinean player. Surely it was either taking someone out in the air (straight red) or a fair contest (penalty at most). I think the fact that the Argie player pulls Brown down on the way down was what made him land on his face, but considering the player was blocked off by Watson on the way to the ball it would seem very harsh to give a red.
Maybe the ref realised that in this situation the 'letter of the law' approach to the laws wasn't going to work, so just went with the mid-point of a yellow.
Stuart Barnes was adamant that it was just a penalty, so I was in full support of a different decision purely as a point of principle.
Red, it wasn't. Yellow ... probably fair with the onus seemingly so much on avoiding even the possibility of injury.
I see Wales have recalled Jamie Roberts. I think that may be Gatland's default response to any defeat
Seriously though I wish he'd sod off (Gatland I mean). Quins have got about 30 players (not actually an exaggeration...we have 5 scrum halves all injured!) out at the moment so we hardly need Jamie sitting doing sod all with Wales for a week.
I've just watched a video of the Mike Brown incident in the Argentina game (probably the most exciting thing that happened in the 80 minutes).
I'm still not quite sure how the ref reached a decision of yellow card for the Argentinean player. Surely it was either taking someone out in the air (straight red) or a fair contest (penalty at most). I think the fact that the Argie player pulls Brown down on the way down was what made him land on his face, but considering the player was blocked off by Watson on the way to the ball it would seem very harsh to give a red.
Maybe the ref realised that in this situation the 'letter of the law' approach to the laws wasn't going to work, so just went with the mid-point of a yellow.
The referee looked at the footage and somehow concluded that Brown landed on his shoulder..... ...... and so decided it was only a yellow card.
As you say it was a borderline call, at first it was a fair challenge but then he does hook/pull Brown's arm which tips him over landing face first. Not an easy one at all but if it's interpreted as a foul then it had to be a red card.
I think rookie ref just didn't want to give a red card on his big day out.
Ah is that the reason he gave in the end? Mike Brown must have his shoulder in a weird place if that was the call!
Looking at it again I think you're interpretation is right. It's initially a fair contest, but on the way down he illegally pulls him to the ground which, as it resulted in Brown being knocked unconscious, should really have been a red card.
I'm glad it wasn't a red because it would have ruined the game as a contest, but if the authorities are going to back themselves into these corners with such stringent laws, then they need to put them into practice.
The most puzzling bit for me is you have Nigel Owens as touch judge, who wasn't afraid all game to chime in and discuss certain things with his junior colleague, but on that one he was silent. I'd have thought that was the moment where you'd want him to be going 'mate, I think you need to have another look at that...'. Maybe he decided that he had to let him make a big decision for himself.
But yes, you don't want to see red cards but in a situation like that if it is deemed to be foul play then it makes a bit of a mockery of the laws and their desire to protect players against head injuries.
We do have to remember that the Sky commentators, whether you disagree with them or not, thought it wasn't even a yellow card, and that was after numerous replays. Your opinion is that it was a definite red and a bottle job by a rookie referee, but an opinion is all it is.
We do have to remember that the Sky commentators, whether you disagree with them or not, thought it wasn't even a yellow card, and that was after numerous replays. Your opinion is that it was a definite red and a bottle job by a rookie referee, but an opinion is all it is.
But did they say it should have been a penalty?