'It's a ludicrous and crazy situation'
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Rugby legend Fran Cotton is the latest voice to call for action against Wasps following their shock refusal to play at Sale last week.
The former Sale prop, who is now a director at the club, believes the Premier Rugby ruling which allowed Wasps to overrule referee David Rose's declaration that the Edgeley Park pitch was safe to play on makes a mockery of the game.
Premier Rugby bosses have already launched an urgent investigation into the postponement and England stalwart Cotton insists Wasps should be made to forfeit the points as part of any possible sanctions charged against them.
"What I can't understand is that Sale agreed to play, the referee deemed the pitch to be playable and yet we have a situation where one team can say 'We don't want to play'," Cotton said, speaking to the Manchester Evening News.
"The cynic would say, 'Didn't like the conditions, didn't fancy it with one or two players missing, let's put the game off'.
"As far as Premier Rugby goes, if there can't be an agreement between the two sides, then the final decision must rest with the referee as he is completely independent.
"It's a ludicrous and crazy situation that one team can just cry off. And as far as Premier Rugby are concerned in this case, it's very simple - Wasps should be made to forfeit the points."
Comments
kije says...
Fran, in your day players were not under the pressure that todays players experience. The game is very different in many ways including that for some rugby is a living and therefore they are entitled to protection from unneccessary risks. The game is risky enough anyway.
If their managers say it is dangerous then it should stop there, they pay the wages and to an extent they pick up the pieces when things get broken. To adopt the attitude they should be told to get on with it, smacks of old fartism and the same sort of the regard generals had for their men in WWI.
Posted 20:21 01st December 2009