‘That is not great for rugby’ – Eddie Jones slates yellow card decision as Henry Arundell finds out fate
'That is not great for rugby' - Eddie Jones slates yellow card decision as Arundell finds out fate
Japan head coach Eddie Jones has argued that England wing Henry Arundell was not deserving of his first yellow card in Saturday’s Six Nations clash against Scotland.
The Bath star was issued with his first yellow card of the day for illegally contesting the ball in the ruck. According to the referee, Arundell didn’t make enough of an effort to release the tackled player before attempting to win the ball.
Fans and pundits alike were conflicted by the referee’s decision, with many claiming that a yellow card was harsh.
Speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast, Jones said: “I can’t see how you can have a sending off in the first minute of the game for the first action of a player on his feet contesting the ball. It might have been a penalty, but that is not great for rugby.”
“It takes a lot of interest out of the game, which should have been a fantastic game. I can’t see how you can have a sin-bin in the first minute of the game for the first action of the player.”
An uphill battle at Murrayfield
England have struggled to beat their old rivals in recent years, having won just two in their last nine attempts dating back to 2018. At the home of Scottish rugby, and with a man down, their efforts became that much harder.
“The Calcutta Cup is always a difficult game for England up in Edinburgh, and having that at the start of the game put them right on the back foot. They lost a lot of cohesion through that, and they struggled to get into the game.
“Once Scotland had the advantage, I think they won the first three contestable kicks. And Finn Russell one week ago – had no space – had all the space in the world. Dummies, cut passes, kicks to his winger’s side, stepping, he looked like a different player, and once he’s on the front foot with a bit of freedom, they’re a difficult team to play against.”
Sure enough, England soon found themselves 17-0 down with no comeback in sight. Despite a couple of George Ford kicks and a try from Arundell to follow, the men in white were soon to have their day ruined further.
A second yellow card for Arundell as the wing desperately chased the game caused the match to creep further out of their grasp. This penalty was more clear-cut, with the 23-year-old taking his opposite number out clean in the air, leaving his side short for 20 minutes as he left the field for the final time that afternoon.
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Henry Arundell is free to play against Ireland if selected
An independent Disciplinary Committee has since cleared Arundell of any ban. The statement reads:
“England (No.11), Henry Arundell, received a red card (following the receipt of two yellow cards) for acts of foul play contrary to Law 9.4 and Law 9.17, respectively, in the Men’s Six Nations Championship match between Scotland and England on Saturday, 14th February 2026. An independent Disciplinary Committee (comprising Nigel Hampton KC, Ofisa Tonu’u and Donal Courtney) considered the matter.
“The player accepted that he had committed the acts of foul play that resulted in the showing of the two yellow cards, which led to the red card. The independent Disciplinary Committee upheld the red card but determined that, in the circumstances (including that the first yellow card had been issued for a ‘technical offence’, and that the second yellow card had been issued for a very different act of foul play), the sending off of the player had been a sufficient sanction, and no further sanction was appropriate. The player is now free to play.”