I’m not sure what the lack of sanctions for head on head clash when you played has any bearing on what should happen now. I’m pretty confident that if you took a straw poll of lads on here who played more than say 10 years ago a significant number would have played while concussed, and as we now know that’s not a good thing.hugonaut wrote: ↑December 7th, 2022, 8:03 pmHe got sent off on the night.Oldschoolsocks wrote: ↑December 7th, 2022, 5:23 pm So in good news we have Church available for selection, in nit so good news the sport is nit really taking bliows to the head seriously
When I was playing, a clash of heads like that had no sanction – not even a penalty. Getting sent off is a really significant tariff to pay. I think that shows the bodies who oversee the sport are taking blows to the head seriously, by instructing referees to punish players [and their teams] severely in order to disincentivise any slackness in carrying out actions that could lead to head collisions.
From my point of view, that was very clearly an accident. Head-on-head collisions almost always are, and unfortunately, they are always going to happen in rugby, as long as the game is played. If you look at the incident, Healy has his knees pretty much completely flexed, i.e. a 90º angle, his hips are low, he's coming up a bit as Stewart is coming down a bit ... it's just an accident. It's not an egregious failure of technique or a cheapshot, he's not a recidivist high tackler. Hume got a yellow card for his head collision with Ringrose because it was [again] accidental.
Healy already paid a high price by getting sent off early in the game. I was expecting him to get a two week ban with one week off, but I'm happy that he didn't. I seem to be in the online minority here, but I don't think that he should have had to serve any ban or suspension at all. He already had sufficient sanction.
As for whether the clash of heads was accidental sure, maybe it was? Neither player was fully upright in the tackle. But that’s not the decision tree. The assessment of the foul play was degree of danger and degree of mitigation, I don’t remember degree of intent being a part of the decision.
Agreed, it is a big sanction to be sent off and whilst I’m happy from a Leinsterfan POV that Church is available for selection I’m less comfortable that the red card was overturned. I think it sends the wrong message to the referee community. Head clashes are hazardous and the long term health risks warrant stiff penalties for the good of players and the good of the game in general…