Former Test referee Nigel Owens says Ireland lock James Ryan should have received a permanent red card for his “reckless” cleanout on Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx.
Initially shown a yellow card in the 20th minute, the 29-year-old saw it upgraded to a 20-minute red after a bunker review.
On Wednesday, Ryan received a three-match ban, but he could miss just two matches if he takes part in World Rugby’s coaching intervention programme.
“When I’m watching that, I’m going it’s an easy decision, that’s a straight red card,” Owens said on Whistle Watch.
“That is exactly the type of action that is reckless, as there is clear line of sight. He pretty much takes off, basically leading with a shoulder. It should be a straight red, there’s no ifs or buts about this.”
SCHALLA: Malcolm is a marked man
Former Wales centre Jamie Roberts said he also could not see how the Ryan incident was not a straight red card.
“Off his feet, high degree of danger, clear line of sight, right into Malcolm Marx’s chin. Tell me otherwise because I’m not seeing how that isn’t a straight red personally.”
However, Owens then went on to explain what might have happened.
“Now what the referee did, he looked at those pictures, now whether he couldn’t decide at that moment and then sent it to the bunker. The issue you have then is, once you send that to the bunker, the bunker cannot come back with a permanent red card. The bunker can only come back with a 20-minute red card.
“But for me, once you see that, even when I was watching that live, I’m going that’s red. And when you see a couple of replays, you’re going that’s red. So that should have been a red card.”
MORE: Ireland lock gets slap on wrist for Marx cleanout
Owens added that in a difficult game to manage, referee Matt Carly got most of the decisions correct – but he got a couple of big ones wrong, including the no-arms tackle by Bok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu early on.
“I wonder if this one set the tone for the rest of the game because I was expecting and I would have given a yellow card for that.
“He certainly goes in with no attempt to wrap. You tend to see these type of actions now do tend to be given as yellow cards. So, in this instance, that should have been a yellow card.”
Roberts, a robust centre in attack and defence in his pomp, had some advice for the young Bok pivot.
“Yeah, it’s always tricky if you are a dominant right shoulder tackler and you’re heading towards that touchline. You’re very kind of inclined to lean with that shoulder and it’s very hard to wrap a player that’s running past your left shoulder. So, work on left shoulder tackling Sacha.”
Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images
The post Nigel: Ireland lock deserved straight red appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.