Billy Vunipola hearing decision rules foul play had 'insufficient force'
Billy Vunipola’s red card he received during Saracens’ Investec Champions Cup clash against the Bulls in South Africa has been overturned.
It means that the England number eight is free to play immediately, making him available for Saturday’s European appointment with Connacht.
Vunipola was sent off early in the second half by Italian referee Andrea Piardi for a dangerous strike to the head area of Bulls forward Cameron Hanekom.
The 31-year-old, who appeared by video link before an independent disciplinary panel, accepted that he had committed an act of foul play, but he did not accept it warranted a red card.
Tournament organiser European Professional Club Rugby said: “The committee determined that Vunipola had committed an act of foul play.
“However, it decided that there was insufficient force in the contact to Hanekom’s head to warrant a red card, and the red card was therefore overturned.
“Vunipola is free to play immediately, and EPCR has the right to appeal the decision.”
Saracens were beaten 27-16 by the Bulls in the first of their four Champions Cup pool games.
Ridiculous, Puffing Billy should have got at least three games just for being so stupid, particularly when it was so noticeable how much better Saracens played after he left the field.
Yet when vermeulen smacked directly into de Groot's head (forcing de Groot to go off for an HIA) in the RWC final not even a penalty was awarded when it was clearly a straight red card. Vunipola's card cost Saracens the game.
That’s a complete joke of a ruling. Red card every day. He is so out of control it’s laughable. Direct contact, high speed, reckless, clear line of sight. It ticks all the boxes. How on earth can 130kgs moving at speed making direct contact with the shoulder to the head be deemed low force?!
This should have been a very big ban.
Like vermeulen smacking directly into de Groot's head (forcing de Groot to go for an HIA) without so much as a penalty being awarded let alone the straight red it warranted.
Classic picture though. Doesn’t look guilty at all. 😂
Sad to see that WR's mandate for their officials to protect and Molly coddle SA rugby (at all international levels) still persists. Piardi has a mere 18 games at this level behind him and already the laughable bias to desperately try and make SA teams appear competitive is evident. Disappointing.
Aah, what would this site be without Naaigel serving his smegma (that’s headcheese to, Naaitril) and an overdose of whine? 🤣🤣🤣
You remind me of Ricky Gervais in The Office - so utterly cringe worthy, but schadenfreude keeps the crowd.
And “Molly coddle”? 🤦♂️😂
Such a lutkop!
Correct - there was minimal force. But the stupidity of the whole action deserves a ban by itself. Moronic…
Billy has reached his sell-by date. His RWC performances were atrocious: He just seems to have lost all the skill and finesse that he brought to the game.
Minimal force?! Would like to see you take Billy’s shoulder at that speed to the head and then say it’s low force.