James Lowe signs for Leinster

[johng]

Worst is we have Fardy and RPG for every game. Best is we keep having to drop one of them.

[cormac]

Is his hearing today?
Whats the best and worst scenarios?

tomorrow

[Leinsterlunatic]

Best and most likely is 2 or 3 week ban.

Worst could be 5 weeks, but if I was a betting man I would say 3 weeks.

[arsebiscuits1]

Best and most likely is 2 or 3 week ban.

Worst could be 5 weeks, but if I was a betting man I would say 3 weeks.

Baloucoune got himself 4 reduced to 2 for a worse tackle (although a "better" outcome in that the player landed less dangerously)

Doesn't help us for the Toulouse game mind you. I don't think there's a chance of him making that.

But Baloucoune showing remorse and a spot free record got his sentence halved. Robertson McCoy got 6 weeks off his initial 12 for the same.

Lowe fits in that bracket so I am leaning more towards 4 weeks reduced to 2

[ronk]

Playing with 14 players is a big punishment that we/he has already gone through. Bans never seem to factor that in though. Kinda unfair in that some people are punished twice.

[wixfjord]

The lower end ban for this offence is 4 weeks, so if he gets banned that'll be the least he gets, which is likely. I'd imagine he'll get half that for good behaviour so 2 weeks.

[LeinsterLeader]

I’m hearing 2 weeks

[wixfjord]

Yup, four weeks reduced to two.

https://www.pro14rugby.org/2019/01/03/d ... 20-%20Lowe

Fair enough I think.

[Dexter]

Yup, four weeks reduced to two.

https://www.pro14rugby.org/2019/01/03/d ... 20-%20Lowe

Fair enough I think.

Exactly as expected.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

The idea that he got the same as Baloucoune is just utter nonsense. I really hope that whoever is conducting these hearings is noting the stupidity of it all and asking for a change to be made.

I think I'd go with Noel and Ringrose in the centre against Toulouse and then have Adam and ROL on the wings. I know he hasn't played there much but I don't like when Larmour is on the left wing and think Adam deserves a start. Have to say I'm quite worried about that game.

[johng]

What's the betting that Sir Barold of Daly gets added to the Euro squad ahead of Tomane before next Tuesday

[Dexter]

The idea that he got the same as Baloucoune is just utter nonsense. I really hope that whoever is conducting these hearings is noting the stupidity of it all and asking for a change to be made.

I think I'd go with Noel and Ringrose in the centre against Toulouse and then have Adam and ROL on the wings. I know he hasn't played there much but I don't like when Larmour is on the left wing and think Adam deserves a start. Have to say I'm quite worried about that game.

This I agree with!
Not only did he get the same ban, but he also got red carded while Baloucoune got yellow - so overall the punishment was worse for both player and team. As always, it's the inconsistency which is annoying.

[Oldschool]

Yup, four weeks reduced to two.

https://www.pro14rugby.org/2019/01/03/d ... 20-%20Lowe

Fair enough I think.

Exactly as expected.

Given he got a RC early on it's almost a three match ban. However given the need to make the game safer and until the law makers come up with real solutions for this area of the game then the referees, tmos, citing officers, disciplinary committee etc have to mete out the necessary punishment.
Perhaps there is a further role for the disciplinary committees to state that basically they are seeing too many of a particular type of cited offence and that perhaps law changes are indicated.
Perhaps our very own Alain Roland needs to speak up.
Christ but that was a mouthful, who'd be an administrator.

[ronk]

A red card + 2 matches is worse than a three match ban. Much worse. The fact that punishment by the referee is not factored into it is what makes it frustrating.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I never understood why the minimum sanction isn't a week so that they can then reduce the ban from there as opposed to starting from four weeks and the punishment still being severe when it's halved.

I don't mind the tie and biscuits excuse being rolled out for incidents like this, I think that's why it's invoked by the committee.

[matt]

World Rugby need to take a serious look at current law. I think everyone would agree they are ruining games with red cards without making any attempt to make the game safer. If a player decides to jump into an opponent then they have to take the risk of landing on their head. Conway knew he had the rules on his side so he was allowed to effectively knee Lowe in the head and draw the red card. If these idiots in world rugby can’t be bothered to change the law to protect the player AND end this contrived situation I’d advise every team to spend a lot of time training to first block players so they are unsighted/distracted and then somebody jump into them. The way things are going chances are this years World Cup will be won or lost on one of these sham sendings off. Ps I don’t really believe teams should cheat in this way but it is only by shock comment that anything is likely to be done about this. Only solution I can see is players have to keep feet on ground when catching ball.

[Laighin Break]

World Rugby need to take a serious look at current law. I think everyone would agree they are ruining games with red cards without making any attempt to make the game safer. If a player decides to jump into an opponent then they have to take the risk of landing on their head. Conway knew he had the rules on his side so he was allowed to effectively knee Lowe in the head and draw the red card. If these idiots in world rugby can’t be bothered to change the law to protect the player AND end this contrived situation I’d advise every team to spend a lot of time training to first block players so they are unsighted/distracted and then somebody jump into them. The way things are going chances are this years World Cup will be won or lost on one of these sham sendings off. Ps I don’t really believe teams should cheat in this way but it is only by shock comment that anything is likely to be done about this. Only solution I can see is players have to keep feet on ground when catching ball.

A player jumps to give themselves a better chance of winning the ball and hardly because they 'know they have the rules on their side' or to draw the red card. No player wants to be flipped upside down and potentially land on their head/neck.
The knee goes up for balance and some added protection not to knee someone in the head* (same in football, same in Aussie rules). It's Lowe's fault he got kneed in the head - he ran right into Conway's knees.
I really don't see the issue with the red card or with the rule in general. You either get up and compete or wait for them to land.

*If you really want to see a bad technique that looks to injure the other player, you should see Toby Greene in the AFL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMfiWg-PDCA

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I really don't understand that way of thinking. How is Lowe supposed to know that Conway is going to jump forward at the last second as they both run towards each other? As I've already said, it's a different kettle of fish if the player jumps from a standing start, that's far easier to avoid for the chasing player.

I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head but I have seen players jump and look for penalties or at least look to avoid being tackled when they could have easily caught the ball without jumping, Rob has done the latter a few times.

Any time I've jumped for a high ball or in the lineout I've been very aware of the area I was jumping into. If there were lots of bodies around then I expected contact, if I tried to get across someone at two then I knew there was a good chance I'd get a whack on the back/shoulder. The jumper isn't oblivious to what's around them.

[Laighin Break]

I really don't understand that way of thinking. How is Lowe supposed to know that Conway is going to jump forward at the last second as they both run towards each other? As I've already said, it's a different kettle of fish if the player jumps from a standing start, that's far easier to avoid for the chasing player.

I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head but I have seen players jump and look for penalties or at least look to avoid being tackled when they could have easily caught the ball without jumping, Rob has done the latter a few times.

Any time I've jumped for a high ball or in the lineout I've been very aware of the area I was jumping into. If there were lots of bodies around then I expected contact, if I tried to get across someone at two then I knew there was a good chance I'd get a whack on the back/shoulder. The jumper isn't oblivious to what's around them.

If the jumper isn't oblivious to what's around them, then Lowe shouldn't be oblivious either. Considering players don't have much hang time, the jump is always at the last second...
Maybe I look at it differently, playing football hurling & Aussie rules where the instinct would always be to jump when competing for a high ball, but I would think it's something a player just has to consider when chasing garryowens.

[matt]

I really don't understand that way of thinking. How is Lowe supposed to know that Conway is going to jump forward at the last second as they both run towards each other? As I've already said, it's a different kettle of fish if the player jumps from a standing start, that's far easier to avoid for the chasing player.

I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head but I have seen players jump and look for penalties or at least look to avoid being tackled when they could have easily caught the ball without jumping, Rob has done the latter a few times.

Any time I've jumped for a high ball or in the lineout I've been very aware of the area I was jumping into. If there were lots of bodies around then I expected contact, if I tried to get across someone at two then I knew there was a good chance I'd get a whack on the back/shoulder. The jumper isn't oblivious to what's around them.

If the jumper isn't oblivious to what's around them, then Lowe shouldn't be oblivious either. Considering players don't have much hang time, the jump is always at the last second...
Maybe I look at it differently, playing football hurling & Aussie rules where the instinct would always be to jump when competing for a high ball, but I would think it's something a player just has to consider when chasing garryowens.

Correct me if I am wrong but I don’t think you get sent off playing football if you have a honest contest in the air irrespective of whether one player lands on his head or shoulder. Also if you jump for a high ball in soccer same applies.