It seems impossible to find anyone who stands against the new regulations concerning high tackles.
The specific provisions of Law 10.4(e) in relation to High Tackles are as follows:
A player must not tackle (or try to tackle) an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders. A tackle around the opponent’s neck or head is dangerous play. A stiff-arm tackle is dangerous play. A player makes a stiff-arm tackle when using a stiff-arm to strike an opponent.
Incidents are mounting in regard to the new regulations concerning high tackles and Refs are not permitted any leeway…..the number of times I have heard a Ref apologise seems to be increasing exponentially.
Let’s take two more recent incidents.
The open handed slap from Phil Burleigh of Edinburgh on Pascal Pape of Stade Francais. Even by his own standards Maxwell-Keys seemed embarrassed about issuing a red card to Burleigh, seeming to apologise.
I have yet to find anyone that believed the red card was justified but have found many that felt Pape should have at least had a yellow. One has to ask if Nigel Owens would have handled it differently.
And on Saturday Sarries must consider themselves lucky that their captain (and game saver) Brad Barritt wasn’t red carded for a high tackle on Geoff Parling. Richard Barrington was sent off for a secondary collision so why didn’t Barritt go as well?
Did Ian Tempest err massively in that decision?
It seems that Refs are now being relied upon less and less and that the TMO is being called upon far too much.
The Glos V Saints game is particularly relevant. As it was not a televised game there was a reduced number of cameras available to the TMO. When it came to the Ben Morgan try the decision went against the home side. On reflection it seemed like a good try….when the RIGHT image was studied.
In that particular case the ref was required to ask a question…the wording could have been “Try yes or no?” or “Is there any reason I cannot award a try?”. Ultimately, how that question was put decided whether or not Gloucester won the game. Gloucester lost.
The TMO, I believe, is a force for good. God alone knows I hear many complaints from friends who support the other game and decry the lack of a TMO. But there has to be a line drawn. If there are limitations due to a reduced camera facility caused by a game not being televised the Refs need to ensure they are able to make decisions based on a more limited information stream.
And arseholes like Pape need to know yellow, or even Red Cards, are possible if they try it on.
winnyssite 