Come on Wales!

[Bunk]

The IRB website says this in 'Section 10.4 - Dangerous Play and Misconduct':

(j) 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.
Sanction: Penalty kick

It doesn't make it very clear if that deserves red or just a yellow but it does make it clear that dropping the player is still dangerous play.

[Bunk]

You mean, except for how he was totally un-injured? 'Nearly' doesn't mean the same as 'could have'.

You can't base a punishment on how badly a player gets injured, otherwise you have players getting away with a very dangerous tackle which luckily doesn't injure someone, and an unfortunate but fair tackle which does injure someone getting a yellow or red.

[Arturo Bassick]

You can't base a punishment on how badly a player gets injured, otherwise you have players getting away with a very dangerous tackle which luckily doesn't injure someone, and an unfortunate but fair tackle which does injure someone getting a yellow or red.

Exactly.
Think of it like drink driving or carrying a loaded shot gun.
These offences in themselves may not always cause death or serious injury but the likelihood is dramatically increased.

Far better to make them illegal and punish perpetrators hard to wipe out the behaviour.

[Mich the Tester]

The IRB website says this in 'Section 10.4 - Dangerous Play and Misconduct':



It doesn't make it very clear if that deserves red or just a yellow but it does make it clear that dropping the player is still dangerous play.

Yep, but the important words here are 'dangerous play'; that is punishable with a red card.

As much as I feel for the Welsh team and for Warburton, who clearly simply made a mistake at the wrong moment, I am pleased to see a ref having the guts to take action agains this in such a big game; a broken neck is the greatest fear of any rugby player and play that's likely to cause it has to be stamped out.

I know that in the past players have got away with this; most notably Tana Umaga against O'Driscoll, but he should have been red carded too; dropping players on the head or neck has to be stopped and this ref did his job. Well done ref, hard luck Wales and what a shame that such a bunch of tossers will get into the final. Tossers, I say, wth one exception, Imanol Harinordoquy, who is an outstanding player with the right attitude to the game, unlike his coach. France would be nowhere without him.

[Bunk]

I know that in the past players have got away with this; most notably Tana Umaga against O'Driscoll, but he should have been red carded too

The most scandalous part of that incident was that Umaga and the other guy who helped him got away without any punishment after the match too.

[Pondlife]

The decision by the Ref was the correct one. Intent is irrelevant IMO.

I am more disappointed by 11 missed kicking points, although to be fair to Halfpenny, his was a bit of a monster.

We lost, they won. End of.

IMO, Welsh Rugby has an excellent platform of young players, with the right attitude, who will see another world cup. Even Mikey Philips kept his head which is a huge improvement on his usual attitude. Sad to think that Shane W will never put on a Red jersey again though.

[d000hg]

You can't base a punishment on how badly a player gets injured, otherwise you have players getting away with a very dangerous tackle which luckily doesn't injure someone, and an unfortunate but fair tackle which does injure someone getting a yellow or red.

Hmm. So totally opposite to real life then where consequence is more important.

[PRC1964]

Hmm. So totally opposite to real life then where consequence is more important.

IMHO, Real life could do with catching up with rugby then. Intent (or negligence) is worse than accidental consequence.

[Alf W]

Bang to rights.

AUCKLAND, 16 Oct. - The International Rugby Board has issued a statement of clarification regarding the Tip or Spear tackle.*
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
Regular directives to Unions, Match Officials and Judicial Officers have*been issued*to reinforce the IRB’s zero-tolerance stance regarding dangerous tackles and the promotion of player welfare.
The policy was again reiterated to team officials at a Team Managers seminar in Auckland two weeks before the start of Rugby World Cup and during the Tournament*and there have been a number of other Tip Tackle cases at Rugby World Cup 2011.
IRB

[malvolio]

Bang to rights.

So why were the other similar tackles during the competition- there were four of them - either unpunished or, in one case, yellow carded...? With no subseqeunt three match ban...?

Wales should have won anyway, even with 14 men and no inspirational captain and key forward, had they made their kicks count, so there's no point blaming this decision for it. Doesn't mean it hasn't left a nasty taste. Fifteen minutes in and the game was destroyed since all France had to do was what they did do, sit on their defensive advantage and wait for the points to come to them. Cynical and gutless, just like England, albeit with a better outcome mainly because they didn't concede penalties like they were going out of fashion. Just hope the Kiwis stuff them next week.

Roll on the Six Nations. Y Ddraig Goch for the Slam anyone?