Wednesday 19 October 2011

Paddy's Law


Law 10.4(j) reads: Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play.

A directive was issued to all Unions and Match Officials in 2009 emphasizing the IRB’s zero-tolerance stance towards dangerous tackles and reiterating the following instructions for referees:

- The player is lifted and then forced or ‘speared’ into the ground (red card offence)

- The lifted player is dropped to the ground from a height with no regard to the player’s safety (red card offence)

- For all other types of dangerous lifting tackles a yellow card or penalty may be considered sufficient.

Where Sam Warburton’s tackle rates on this scale is your opinion, unfortunately Alain Colm Pierre Roland saw it as a red card, the rest is history. The argument is, the IRB’s stance here is wrong.

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.

An illegal high tackle involving a stiff arm or swinging arm to the head of the opponent, with no regard to the player’s safety, bears all the hallmarks of an action which should result in a red card or a yellow card being seriously considered.

Attached are two clips, the first is Sam Warburton’s tackle on Vincent Clerc which, as we all know, resulted in a red card as per law 10.4(j). The second is a challenge made on Olly Morgan by Chris Hala’Ufia that saw the Tongan sit in the sin bin for 10 minutes by the guidelines of law 10.4(e).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9nn33vOtQk&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk6nh5xwWi8

Having watched both, which one is the more dangerous? According to some studies which were researched in February of this year at an IRB medical conference:

“stricter implementation of the Laws of Rugby relating to collisions and tackles above the line of the shoulder may reduce the number of head/neck injuries”.

And a separate study concluded that:

“ball carriers were at highest risk from tackles to the head and neck region”.

The IRB then came to the decision that tackles above the line of the shoulders have the potential to cause serious injury and noted that a trend had emerged whereby players responsible for such tackles were not being suitably sanctioned.

Given that this was the initiative set in February, why are we still constantly seeing yellow cards or even just a penalty for these types of challenges? The answer is that Paddy O’Brien, Head of the IRB’s Refereeing Board has lost his grip on rugby. It’s become apparent through Kingsley Jones, Russia’s Director of Rugby, that the Kiwi sent an email to all the world cup coaches highlighting the issue of zero-tolerance when it came to tip or spear tackles. As well as this, meetings were held out in New Zealand whereby coaches, players and referees discussed the interpretation of the law and heading these meetings was Mr Alain Roland. Therefore, despite medical evidence, Paddy O’Brien has opted to scrutinize the spear tackle as opposed the more dangerous stiff arm shoulder charge.

Yes, Roland should have managed it better, realized that it wasn’t a tackle of malicious intent and pleased everyone with the sanction of a yellow card. He couldn’t because of the strangle-hold the IRB’s bigwigs have on the game. They’ve demonstrated their complete alienation to the game by handing Sam Warburton a 3 week ban which will see him miss the bronze medal clash with the Australians Friday morning. Instead of sympathizing with the vast majority of the rugby world and holding their hands up, like an old mule, they’ve dished out their punishment and propped Alain Roland up onto his pedestal.

That aside, many people have been questioning why he was allowed to officiate the game in the first place given the French blood that runs through his veins. The integrity of international referees isn’t in question and although Roland was poor in his controlling of the game, it certainly wasn’t because he speaks fluent French. That’s important to note as Nigel Owens has coped his fair share of flack because of the South Africa Vs Samoa game and the bearing it had on the Welsh team’s progression. It’s not an issue of race, but why are the IRB even letting it be a topic to be discussed? Paddy O’Brien had 10 referees to choose from, why let it be a talking point if there’s a possible clash of interest? Regarding the semi-finals, just swap Craig Joubert and Alain Roland, there is nothing to question.

O’Brien has not only ruined what could have been one of the most titanic clashes in world rugby history with one red card, he’s ruined an entire tournament. The final will be a non-event with the All Blacks absolutely crushing a French side that is being held together by onions, garlic, snails and frogs legs. They couldn’t muster a try against a 14-man Wales, so how the ‘spoilt-brats’ are going to do anything against the greatest team of the professional era is anyone’s guess. Furthermore, it’s ruined one of the great fairytale stories of the Welsh team making the final of the world cup and setting up the delicious prospect of two small nations that hold rugby dearest to their hearts battling it out to be crowned the best. The Welsh would have come second, of that there is little doubt, but at least it would have been a climax to a great tournament.

This world cup will now not remembered for the All Blacks finally claiming the prize that has eluded them since 1987 on their own turf, it will be remembered for four words”

“SAM WARBURTON: SENT OFF”

Well, in this part of the world it will anyway.