Owen Doyle: Explosive rescinding of Farrell’s red card rocks World Rugby

Deep in Poland’s Marusian Forrest, you’ll come across Wolf’s Lair: Adolf Hitler’s bunker. On July 20th, 1944, Col Claus Von Stauffenberg placed a bomb under the Führer’s conference table, inflicting mighty damage. He failed though in his primary objective, the principal resident survived.

Von Stauffenberg was subsequently executed for the attempt on Hitler’s life. And now, almost 80 years later, World Rugby’s newly constructed bunker has been rocked to its core by the explosive rescinding of Owen Farrell’s red card. The damage and outrage have been caused by the Six Nations’ appointed judiciary, chairman Adam Casselden, accompanied by two former players John Langford and David Croft.

World Rugby has, of course, appealed which is taking place today. It may fail, perhaps on a technicality, but that would not make all of this a sound outcome; so, I wonder what sort of rebuke their lordships will face.

No society can get along safely without confidence in the men who sit on the bench, the rugby world is no different

They are now surely in a very invidious position, singing from a completely different hymn sheet to the one prescribed. With the World Cup around the corner, maybe resignation is the best idea; maybe they should be stood down.

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Everything in professional rugby is about performance and that must include the post-match arbiters. No society can get along safely without confidence in the men who sit on the bench, the rugby world is no different.

In contrast, the match officials carried out their functions to the letter. Television match official Brian MacNeice drew the incident to the attention of Nika Amashukeli who yellow carded Farrell, sending it to the bunker for review. There, foul play review officer (FPRO) Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa) called it correctly.

The defence was that Taine Basham was propelled across Farrell by a team-mate, Jamie George, denying the captain time to adjust. It was a defence which was swallowed hook, line, and sinker.

Accompanying Farrell was his counsel, Richard Smith KC. Match officials must be fed up to the gills, their decisions being minutely dissected, as the legal eagles forage for the smallest morsel which will throw a mere shadow of doubt into the mix; once that’s done, they really get down to work.

However, if the referee and FPRO are to be overruled, one would assume it would have to be on compelling evidence only. The judgment states: “This was a difficult question to resolve in the circumstances of this case and the evidence was finely balanced as to the correct outcome.” Not sure that counts as compelling.

International match officials are subject to very detailed performance analysis. Some accept structured, constructive criticism. Others can be sensitive and hurt, looking for reasons to contradict the performance reviewer. Either way, it isn’t a pleasant place to be.

I saw events the same way as the vast majority; of the very many messages which I received not one was in support of the decision

On this occasion, the officials will not feel upset, or marginalised, but they will be incredulous, maybe even angry at this unnecessary undermining. It might well be time for World Rugby to review the involvement of senior counsel in what is a purely sporting context, otherwise give the match officials their own legal back-up.

I saw events the same way as the vast majority; of the very many messages which I received not one was in support of the decision. The contact by George was negligible, Basham’s movement was slight, Farrell was fully focused on him. With no attempt to bend, and no attempt to wrap, he launched himself forcefully into the Welshman. It was not an attempted tackle executed with poor technique, it was a highly dangerous shoulder directly to the head; always illegal, from start to finish, and that cancels out the possibility of mitigation.

It has been stated here before, there is a worrying number of people in high places who don’t accept that these hits deserve “red”. Eddie Jones and Shaun Edwards are just two who have publicly supported Farrell, there are plenty more. It is a terribly unhealthy hemisphere split and a very difficult fix for World Rugby.

Farrell has a poor track record, his last suspension, prior to this year’s Six Nations obliged him to attend tackle school, leading him to say: “We want to make sure that we can play as hard as we possibly can, and make sure it is as fair and as safe as we possibly can as well. I want to play a big part in that.” Those words ring hollow now.

Stop and think for a moment, it’s perhaps more upsetting for families of players on the receiving end, as their potentially brain-injured sons are forced off

I’m not sure it was particularly wise for Ireland coach Andy Farrell to comment, but, yes, he’s right, some of the comments about Farrell jnr have been unnecessarily nasty and upsetting for their families.

But, stop and think for a moment, it’s perhaps more upsetting for families of players on the receiving end, as their potentially brain-injured sons are forced off.

While the appeal could possibly fail, let us fervently hope not. The judgment seriously questions the bunker, just as it is getting started. Absolving the FPRO of any fault, the judges concluded that while they had the luxury of time — “In contrast the FPRO was required to make his judgment in a matter of minutes without the benefit of all the relevant material, including, importantly, hearing from the player and his legal representative.”

Implicit in that quite extraordinary remark is that the bunker is not fit for purpose and that the only people capable of coming up with the right answer are those who hear these cases. Not so, gentlemen, not so.