Ex-Irish ref boss blasts ‘shocking’ Luke Jacobson call as All Blacks flanker escapes citing
Luke Jacobson in action during the Nations Championship and the All Blacks flanker's illegal clearout on Ireland's Josh van der Flier.
Former Test referee Owen Doyle was left stunned that Luke Jacobson’s hit on Josh van der Flier did not result in a red card for the All Blacks flanker.
The back-rower was sin-binned after his tucked shoulder made contact with the head of his opposite number in Saturday’s Nations Championship encounter.
It was sent to the Foul Player Review Officer but it was deemed that there was mitigation and it was not upgraded to a 20-minute red card.
Jacobson avoids citing
While there was no extra punishment during the clash, the citing commissioner could have got involved, but it appears as though the All Black has escaped any further sanction.
“‘Why the hell isn’t that a red card?’ That sums up the bevy of text messages that pinged into my phone immediately after Luke Jacobson had launched himself, off his feet in a totally reckless fashion, at Josh van der Flier,” Doyle wrote in his Irish Times column.
“They were all from experienced, knowledgeable rugby people. I had no answer: I was busy asking myself exactly the same question.
“There was a high degree of danger when Jacobson struck van der Flier hard in the head with his elbow. It was in the egregious category.
“Although not picked up by referee Nic Berry it was identified by the TMO, Ben Whitehouse. Berry then decided it met the yellow card threshold.
“It did indeed, but the referee showed no interest in considering a straight red card, which Jacobson’s actions merited.”
Last November, two Springboks players received straight red cards for incidents that were deemed reckless, but World Rugby then amended the law to make sure only true acts of thuggery would result in a team being permanently reduced to 14.
That meant Jacobson’s indiscretion, which would have always been considered a technical error rather than an intent to harm, could on the day only be punished with, at most, a 20-minute red.
“It went to the bunker official, Englishman Andrew Jackson, for adjudication. Surely, it would now, at least, become a 20-minute red card. But even that did not come to pass,” Doyle wrote.
“Jackson found an escape route for the guilty party, decreeing that James Ryan had ‘jammed’ the All Blacks player’s arm. Heavens above, where did that come from? It was a shocker of a call.”
It is not the only piece of foul play that has occurred over the past week or so with two players receiving suspensions for headbutts.
The first came from Italy’s Niccolo Cannone, who was suspended for four weeks after an incident during their defeat to the All Blacks.
Thuggish hit at U20 level
It was a ban which Doyle described as “paltry”, but the ex-IRFU ref boss was more shocked that another headbutt during the World Rugby U20 Championship only got six weeks.
England youngster Seb Kelly produced what was clearly an act of thuggery when he planted his head into Junior Springboks star Luan Giliomee.
“Yes, brutal foul play is in the news again. Despite the 20-minute red card – and more likely because of it – hits to the head have not gone away,” Doyle added.
“These incidents represent a major problem for the game and it needs to be sorted urgently. Instructions to referees to give straight reds for specific heinous offences, plus ensuring stricter, deterrent level sentences, would go a long way towards resolving things.
“But that will exist only in the land of my pipe dreams. Because, sadly for the sport, there are people at the top table who disagree completely.”
