[2016 RBS Six Nations] Round 4: England vs. Wales (12/03/2016)

[Tony Manx]

Great decision and shows common sense....

 

[WordInUnion]

Scene: The Kinnock Arena (latterly Principality Stadium) Cardiff, the 2017 6 nations.
Inverdale reports to a shocked world some “banter†picked up by the referee’s microphone:

J. Marler: Good afternoon, Old chap. You’re looking well. Have you lost weight?
S. Lee: Thanks, I have been working out a bit.
Marler: It shows. Mind you, if you don’t mind me saying, I thought last year you were a bit â€" well, there’s no nice way to say it â€" steatopygous.
Lee: Crikey! Do you think so? That hurts, if I am honest. I am just big boned.
Marler: Oh, I am sorry. Is it genetic?
Lee: I may have some predisposition to macrophage accumulation in the adipose.
Marler: Deary me. Would it help your body-image and self-esteem if you were to gain a penalty at scrum-time?
Lee: That’s awfully good of you.
Marler: Not at all. Glad to be of assistance to a fellow-conspirator in the consumption of the entirety of pastry covered comestibles.
Lee: Haha! You are corpulent and born out of wedlock.

 

[McTallshort]

Yupp they are a race. Protected under the Equality act:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/d...s/gypsies-and-travellers-race-discrimination/

Actually disgusted that he's got away with both.

Essentially, if you're English and "sorry" later on you can do whatever you want on the pitch. Utter joke.

What the hell's being English got to do with it. Bigot

 

[Peat]

I have a much bigger problem with someone trying to stick fingers in someones eyes, or trying to bite people on a sports ground etc lets tackle those first

There's nothing stopping them from doing both at once.

In fact, I'd argue that the mindset behind this decision is the same mindset behind the highly inconsistent bans we've seen for gouging and the like. You want a governing body that genuinely protects players and the game, they will issue bans for what Marler did. Happy to have them sham their way out of bans when they think they can, as they have, you end up with foul play going unpunished.

 

[Thingimubob]

What the hell's being English got to do with it. Bigot

Essentially in my book, there's been 3 separate incidents of potential foul play by English players in this 6 Nations, which all could've been a ban of some sort. Yet somehow not a single, even just a week, ban has been put on them.

That's pretty frustrating. Not saying its because they're English, but it's still damn frustrating.

 

[TommiG88]

Essentially in my book, there's been 3 separate incidents of potential foul play by English players in this 6 Nations, which all could've been a ban of some sort. Yet somehow not a single, even just a week, ban has been put on them.

That's pretty frustrating. Not saying its because they're English, but it's still damn frustrating.

Although we have had 3 sin binnings in games while other teams seem immune to it.

 

[Maverick1987]

Are we still talking about this ?!?!?! That's gotta be a record it's about 30 pages long now ......

 

[Thingimubob]

Although we have had 3 sin binnings in games while other teams seem immune to it.

All of them justified though? Again, not saying England are getting favoritism, but they've had a hell of a streak of luck not having anyone banned!

I'll agree Joubert and the TMO were idiots for not taking proper action vs Francis.

 

[LiRFCMatt]

Essentially in my book, there's been 3 separate incidents of potential foul play by English players in this 6 Nations, which all could've been a ban of some sort. Yet somehow not a single, even just a week, ban has been put on them.

That's pretty frustrating. Not saying its because they're English, but it's still damn frustrating.

Ashton being banned for 10 weeks for nothing was pretty damn frustrating.

 

[McTallshort]

Ashton being banned for 10 weeks for nothing was pretty damn frustrating.

No it wasnt

 

[Thingimubob]

Ashton being banned for 10 weeks for nothing was pretty damn frustrating.

You mean England fans weren't breathing a sigh of relief at him getting banned?

I still haven't actually seen the Ashton incident properly, saw it briefly once from a wider shot, so what I saw was essentially a standing up neck roll with some face contact? Whether or not that's exactly the case, I don't know.

I do however think it's daft that he got 10, and Francis only 8... For me, any sort of reckless play involving another player's face / eyes needs a heavy ban.

Anyway, think I'm done with this one. Ridiculous decisions all around from the 6 Nations Board, I'll leave it at that.

 

[johnmac99]

Gypsy is his race as far as I understand (what he had identified as in the past) I see it as no different to pointing out someone's skin colour.

Better get in touch with these then:

http://www.gypsy-association.co.uk

 

[Which Tyler]

Joe Marler avoids sanction for "gypsy boy" comment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35827133

 

[The5thOfficial]

World and England's opportunity to make an example and stamp out racism and bullying at root level - and what do they do? Nothing. LOL pathetic - a bit like Marler actually.

 

[McTallshort]

Anyway this is so last week, time to look forward to the France game. Wales enjoy your dead rudder against Italy.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

You mean England fans weren't breathing a sigh of relief at him getting banned?

I still haven't actually seen the Ashton incident properly, saw it briefly once from a wider shot, so what I saw was essentially a standing up neck roll with some face contact? Whether or not that's exactly the case, I don't know.

I do however think it's daft that he got 10, and Francis only 8... For me, any sort of reckless play involving another player's face / eyes needs a heavy ban.

Anyway, think I'm done with this one. Ridiculous decisions all around from the 6 Nations Board, I'll leave it at that.

We were. Or I was at least. The only other hope we had was that Jones was trolling us by including him in the EPS in the first instance and he'd never even warm the bench.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

This is just going to run and run

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-un...stitutional-racism-after-immoral-decision-to/

 

[Maverick1987]

World and England's opportunity to make an example and stamp out racism and bullying at root level - and what do they do? Nothing. LOL pathetic - a bit like Marler actually.

It's not our job to get rid of racism I agree world rugby could and should have done more . Gatland never reprimands his own players ie. Mike Phillips

 

[RedruthRFC]

Essentially in my book, there's been 3 separate incidents of potential foul play by English players in this 6 Nations, which all could've been a ban of some sort. Yet somehow not a single, even just a week, ban has been put on them.

The number of incidents is irrelevant. There is no concept of team citings / bans like there is with yellow cards during a match each incident of potential foul play is assessed individually on its merits. As I understand it, the process is that if the citing officer believes that an incident was worthy of a red card, the incident will be referred to the citing commission who will decide if they agree and apply what they believe to be an appropriate ban.

In Marler's case, it doesn't appear that is was believed that either incident would have resulted in him being red carded, so due process has been followed. Seeing as Francis' actions (apparently) didn't merit a red, it seams reasonable that neither of Marler's would have. Saying that, I don't think that Joubert's performance should be a barometer for the game as a whole. However in this instance, you could argue that this process is flawed. I think that most would agree that both of his transgressions were worthy of a yellow card. Had both incidents been spotted and cards been handed out, Marler would have received a red and copped at very least a one week ban.

The Brown incident has been done to death elsewhere. My memory of the discussion was that if you were an English supporter, Murray shouldn't have been holding on, if you support anyone else, Brown was trying to maim Murray! I like to think that I'm able to be pretty objective in situations like this and have tried to use the laws / guidelines to try to aid this. In this situation, the laws aren't all that helpful - all they say is "though shalt not kick an opponent" and prescribe a penalty kick (obviously the referee has cards at his discretion, but the laws give not guidance as to when to use them). The foul play guidelines don't really deal with this kind of incident, they give sanctions for stamping and trampling, but from memory, this requires a deliberate downward motion of the boot onto an opponent. All of this being the case, I don't see it as a clear red card offence and don't know what sanction they could have applied had he been cited, so once again can make my peace with the decision.

 

[RedruthRFC]

This is just going to run and run

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-un...stitutional-racism-after-immoral-decision-to/

This article throws up a lot of questions for me:

- if Clipson would have reported this to the police, why hasn't she? Not saying that it would achieve anything, just that it is her right which she should exercise rather than talk about exercising it.

- Was Marler forced to apologise? I recall reading elsewhere that he did so of his own volition.

- Did the apology help him avoid sanction? I understood that contrition can lead to a reduction in sanction, by can't affect the decision regarding guilt or innocence.

- Now that Gatland has taken the stance he has, was it a good idea for the WRU to contradict him?