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'Maybe four but at least three of them were deserved': Nigel Owens reviews the five Six Nations red cards and hands out end-of-tournament awards

(Photo by Getty Images)

Centurion Test referee Nigel Owens has delivered his verdict on the red mist that clouded the recent Guinness Six Nations, claiming that maybe four of the five red cards were deserved while also doling out various awards for the best haircut, the best celebration and so on.   

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Welsh official Owens has stepped back from the international arena having taken charge of his 100th Test match during last November’s Autumn Nations Cup. It left him watching the Six Nations unfold from the sidelines and the latest edition of his Whistle Watch video series in association with World Rugby had seen him review the glut of championship reds.

“Let’s get into some of the talking points from last week, the Finn Russell red card. What you can’t do as a ball carrier is you can’t lead with a forearm and raise it up into a player because if you raise a forearm and you make contact with the head or the neck directly then that will result in a red card,” he said. 

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Ex-Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips guests on the latest RugbyPass Offload with Scotland hero Ryan Wilson

“Now my humble opinion is Finn Russell was maybe a little bit unlucky here. The French player tackles Finn Russell upright which means Finn Russell, the dynamics of his handoff had to change. He has to lift his hand up to try and fend off the would-be tackler. In doing this he then gets the timing of it wrong.”

Russell’s red card was one of five across the 15-match championship, resulting in a total of 16-game bans – Peter O’Mahony three, Zander Fagerson four, Bundee Aki four, Paul Willemse two and Russell three. 

Owens hopes the message this collective punishment has sent out will improve the sport for everyone who plays it, not just at Test level. “This year’s Six Nations will be very memorable for us here in Wales but this year’s Six Nations will also be remembered for the most amount of red cards in the Guinness Six Nations tournament and I have to say that at least three of them, maybe four but at least three of them were correct decisions and deserved red cards. 

“Now for the good of the game, for the future of the game and for player safety and all concerned from the very, very top at international level all the way down to our local grassroots community game, it’s important that we deal with acts of foul play that warrant red cards. Hopefully, it will do some good and will help change player behaviour on the field.”

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Switching to a more jovial perspective, Owens handed out a series of novel awards. “Here we go, the best lid, the best haircut? Ellis Genge, Hamish Watson, Jonny Hill. Tough one to choose so I’ll leave you to decide that one. Let me know who you think had the best lid. 

“Best no try? Louis Rees-Zammit (vs France) for sure. Best referee ruck performance? Romain Poite, without a doubt. Head first into the ruck (Scotland vs Ireland). Best celebration? It has got to be Stuart Hogg in Paris on the weekend plus it also meant that the whole of Wales was celebrating as well.”

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J
JPM 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 1 hour ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

12 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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