ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Fans shocked as Saracens half back escapes red

BY Luke Stockwell  ·  Sunday Jun 19, 2022

The Premiership final between Leicester Tigers and Saracens was a pulsating game from start to finish. Both sides attempted to impose themselves tactically and physically over the other – which saw large amounts of kicking and one or two questionable tackles.

Now the dust has settled on a final fit for the brilliant Gallagher Premiership season, and everyone has stopped watching clips of Freddie Burns‘ dramatic last minute drop goal; specific moments within the 80 minutes can be looked at in more detail.

ADVERTISEMENT

One of these moments was Saracens scrum half Aled Davies’ yellow card late in the first 40. Davies was sin binned for a shoulder to head tackle on Leicester hooker Julian Montoya but questions were raised at the time over whether the colour of the card should have been red.

The officiating team on the day, led by Wayne Barnes, supported their decision of a yellow card by saying there was mitigation in the drop of height by Montoya and also the fact that Davies’ tackle was not dominant.

This however has sparked a larger debate rather than clarify the issue. Many supporters and pundits, such as Andy Goode, have questioned whether a backs tackle against a forward could ever be dominant –  and what the result would have been if it was the other way round.

Which then raises the question of if a smaller player commits foul play against someone much larger than themselves could it ever result in a red card.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alternatively, ex-England captain Lawrence Dallaglio supported the decision of Wayne Barnes and when speaking to BT Sport, clarified that he too saw a drop in height which warranted only a yellow.

It must also be said that Barnes had a very strong game along with the rest of the officiating team and the game flowed extremeky well.

Although the decision did not have a large bearing on the game, it seems as though rugby lawmakers are at another crossroads when it comes to tackling.

ADVERTISEMENT

This incident coupled with the numerous debatable tackles in the semi-final between Saracens and Harlequins has put player safety and high tackles under the spotlight once again.

Rugby has always been, and will continue to be, a very hard game to officiate and it is important to remember that referees at any level deserves tremendous respect for what they do.

However, moments like this (whether it was the correct decision or not) and the subjectivity of the laws often leaves fans rather confused at what the framework is.

Nevertheless, Aled Davies’ tackle and the resulting card did not overshadow the final, and was definitely not the moment everyone was talking about afterwards – enter Freddie Burns stage left.

Related Articles

  • 27 WEEKS AGO

    Danny care binned for high tackle on Courtney...

  • 28 WEEKS AGO

    Debate rages on after Maro Itoje sent to...

  • 30 WEEKS AGO

    Fiji Drua player Lomani slapped with ban...



ADVERTISEMENT

Great Tries

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    WATCH: Outlandish Jacob Stockdale finish is truly world class

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Ulster denied THE GREATEST URC try you will ever see!

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Capuozzo break sets Dupont up for hatrick on return

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Fans praise 'Dom Perignon Rugby' as Irish players prepare for final match of South African tour

  • 5 WEEKS AGO

    Harlequins winger heralded as the next big England breakthrough after weekend's performance

View All

Big Hits & Dirty Play

  • 8 HOURS AGO

    WATCH: The biggest hit from week one of the Autumn Nations Series

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    'Cheap shot' from Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints causing a stir online

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Wild moment leads to all in brawl during Welsh derby between Cardiff and Scarlets

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    South African school boy makes the greatest tackle ever

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    Huge guillotine tackle divides fans in viral footage

View All

See It To Believe It

  • 2 WEEKS AGO

    Insane moment as french backrow waves off medic and smokes Ange Capuozzo

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible drop goal helps break 25-match losing streak

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Leinster fly half delivers insane 50:22 after being given start for Emerging Ireland

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    French scrumhalf drills perfect shot at goal under outrageous circumstances

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Siya Kolisi makes young fans' day as he arrives at Cape Town school

View All

Funnies

  • 1 DAY AGO

    Mischievous Marcus Smith spotted engaging in the dark arts during All Blacks match

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Jonny Sexton: 'Fondest memory of the Heineken Cup in 2011?' - 'Gordon D'Arcy's bar' and 'Coppers'

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Watch: Mike Haley's post match interaction with RG Snyman leaves no doubt about where Munster players stand

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    The rugby guy and Mack Hansen drop an all time BANGER with latest video

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    ‘Pitch is made of concrete’ - Fan provides much needed update following half time incident

View All

Amateur

  • 95 WEEKS AGO

    You Won’t See Many Better Than This Silky-Smooth Try From Llandovery RFC

  • 95 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Scenes As Caldy RFC Hand Ealing First Championship Defeat Of The Season

  • 118 WEEKS AGO

    Dubious Score Decides Result Of Rugby's Biggest Schools Fixture

  • 118 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Scenes At School Boys Rugby Match

  • 119 WEEKS AGO

    The Next Dominant Backrow?

View All

Player Features

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Louis Rees-Zammit opens up about his biggest shock in chasing NFL dream

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    'It's been an honour' - Wales legend retires from international rugby

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Jonny Sexton: 'Fondest memory of the Heineken Cup in 2011?' - 'Gordon D'Arcy's bar' and 'Coppers'

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    'It's been horrible' - Wales captain to miss Autumn Nations

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    'It was an easy decision for me' - Saints star commits to future

View All