Former referee Nigel Owens says the late challenge by Luke Morgan on Ethan Hooker, which left the Bok and Sharks star with a dislocated shoulder, warranted a yellow card.
Wing Morgan crashed onto Hooker after the centre completed a long-range try in a Vodacom URC clash between the Sharks and Ospreys last month.
No action was taken by the referee and the URC disciplinary committee also did not see the need for any further action.
KEO & ZELS: Justice for Ethan Hooker!
Writing in his WalesOnline column, Owens notes: “I don’t know Luke Morgan well, although I have refereed him a few times, but he doesn’t strike me as a player who would have done something like that with any intention.
“So you’ve got to put that aside for a minute, but there’s no doubt what he did was dangerous and illegal.”
“Those incidents happen from time to time when a player seemingly needlessly comes in after a team scores and everything’s lost,” he adds.
“You’re entitled to dive in and try to prevent the try as long as it’s in goal, but what you’re obviously not allowed to do is go in dangerously.”
Owens clarifies that while defenders can attempt to stop a grounding in-goal, there are limits: “What is illegal, however, is needlessly coming down on a player after they’ve already scored a try. That becomes foul play.
“At the very least it should have been a penalty on halfway, although I think in this case there’s an argument to say it should have been a penalty and a yellow card.”
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