Premiership: Sale boss Alex Sanderson backs the 20-minute red card law
Sale Shark director of rugby Alex Sanderson before the Gallagher Premiership Semi Final match at Sandy park, Exeter. Picture date: Saturday June 19, 2021.
Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson has thrown his support behind the 20-minute red card rule as he believes it will help combat the grey area that inconsistent refereeing brings to the game.
World Rugby has announced they will consider trialling the law on a more global scale to entirely assess its impact on the game.
Maintaining the contest
Currently being trialled in Super Rugby Pacific, the law allows a team to tactically replace a red-carded player after 20 minutes to maintain the contest.
The reaction to the law is split, with some seeing the benefit of each game remaining a spectacle whilst others fear it may not be enough of a deterrent to influence player behaviour.
“What we’ve seen is an inconsistency to what conjugates a red card and what the sanction of a red card is,” Sanderson said.
“I believe that’s a good thing because getting a red card changes the game irrevocably. It has to change because now it’s probably a bit too harsh.
“Referees don’t want to be the person who dictates the outcome of the game, but increasingly so they are becoming that.
“I understand why they have shifted away from certain things, mitigating factors, affecting the decision for red cards, but there is still a lot of grey there between a yellow and a red.
“A 20-minute sanction would affect the game hugely, but not irrevocably, so I think it’s probably a good idea.
“A 20-minute red card gives you an ability to punish grey areas more than the straight black and white of a yellow or red card.”
Despite Sale losing both of their marquee players in Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager at the end of the season due to the Premiership’s decision to only have one wage counted outside of the reduced £5million salary cap, Sanderson still approves of the decision.
“You lose the experience, the talent and potentially a bit of x-factor with the marquee player, but you gain opportunity for good young English players,” Sanderson said.
“The pathway opens up to lads who could have been blocked before. The aim is to make the game a viable, self-supporting business as opposed to a folly of rich philanthropists, which it has been.
“The long-term benefits of saving the game and giving the opportunity to young English players definitely outweighs the short-term benefits of having some galacticos on the field.”