Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'Ollie Thorley red card, my god' - Prem's latest sending off has left fans scratching their heads

Ollie Thorley of Gloucester receives attention prior to being sent off by referee Matthew Carley (David Rogers/Getty)

The latest Gallagher Premiership red card has infuriated and perplexed fans in equal measure on social and ignited fresh debate around the strict interpretation of the laws currently been seen in the professional game.

ADVERTISEMENT

There’s been a rash of red cards as a result of World Rugby understandably clamping down on head high contact – of any kind – which has now lead to one of the most uncompromising decisions yet seen in a professional rugby game.

Ollie Thorley collided with Wasps’ Rob Miller and knocked himself out in the 28th minute of Gloucester’s game with Wasps at the Ricoh Arena. While there was clearly no malice, referee Matthew Carley felt he had no choice but to send Thorley off.

Video Spacer

Offload Episode 19 | Dan Lydiate

Video Spacer

Offload Episode 19 | Dan Lydiate

While the broad consensus among rugby supporters and media in recent years is that players must be protected, this was a decision that clearly sat badly with many fans, not least England winger Jack Nowell, who summed up a sentiment shared by many on Twitter.

He wasn’t the only one left scratching their head at the decision.

“Well what on earth has happened here Ollie Thorley has been sent off for what looked a head on head collision between him and Miller,” wrote Wasps fans report. “That looks very harsh to me. Big slice of luck for Wasps.”

https://twitter.com/TheWaspsReport/status/1368223599669243906

“Not seen that before. A player sent off while already off having a HIA. Gloucester wing Ollie Thorley the player to be red carded for head-on-head contact as he went to tackle Wasps full-back Rob Miller. Actually came off worse in the collision,” wrote Welsh rugby journalist Simon Thomas.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Rugby has to be able to differentiate between red cards for head contact like that from Thorley (accidental in my view) and Hepetema last night,” wrote Ian Price.

Former Leicester Tigers and now Ealing back row Guy Thompson was one the few to defend Carley’s decision, pointing out that Thorley’s height was an issue. “Matt Carley going through the incident by the letter of the law, step by step. Think he’s reffed that extremely well. Explained his decision and the reason behind it. Right or wrong….done exactly the right thing by the laws,” Tweeted Thompson.

“Intentional doesn’t come into incident with a head on head. Agree it was a tough call, but if thorley drops his height then there’s no red and no chance of a head on head. He instigates it, Matt Carley handled it well.”

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hellhound 40 minutes ago
South Africa player ratings | 2024 Autumn Nations Series

There is this thing going around against Siya Kolisi where they don't want him to be known as the best national captain ever, so they strike him down in ratings permanently whenever they can. They want McCaw and reckons he is the best captain ever. I disagree.


Just like they refuse to see SA as the best team and some have even said that should the Boks win a third WC in a row, they will still not be the best team ever. Even if they win every game between now and the WC. That is some serious hate coming SA's way.


Everyone forget how the McCaw AB's intimidated refs, was always on the wrong side, played on the ground etc. Things they would never have gotten away with today. They may have a better win ratio, but SA build depth, not caring about rank inbetween WC's until this year.


They weren't as bad inbetween as people claim, because non e of their losses was big ones and they almost never faced the strongest Bok team outside of the WC, allowing countries like France and Ireland to rise to the top unopposed.


Rassie is still at it, building more depth, getting more young stars into the fold. By the time he leaves (I hope never) he will leave a very strong Bok side for the next 15- 20 years. Not everyone will play for 20 years, but each year Rassie acknowledge the young stars and get them involved and ready for international rugby.


Not everyone will make it to the WC, but those 51/52 players will compete for those spots for the WC. They will deliver their best. The future of the Boks is in very safe hands. The only thing that bothers me is Rassie's health. If he can overcome it, rugby looks dark for the rest of the rugby world. He is already the greatest coach in WR history. By the time he retires, he will be the biggest legend any sport has ever seen

4 Go to comments
J
JW 55 minutes ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

No where to be seen OB!


The crosses for me for the year where (from memory);


This was a really hard one to nail down as the first sign of a problem, now that I've asked myself to think about it. I'd say it all started with his decision to not back form and fit players after all the injuries, and/or him picking players for the future, rather ones that could play right now.


First he doesn't replace Perofeta straight away (goes on for months in the team) after injury against England, second he falls back to Beauden Barrett to cover at fullback against Fiji, then he drops Narawa the obvious choice to have started, then he brings in Jordan too soon. That Barret selection (and to a lesser extent Bell's) set the tone for the year.


Then he didn't get the side up for Argentina. They were blown away and didn't look like they expected a fight and were well beaten despite the scoreline in my opinion. Worst performance of the year in the forth game and..


Basically the same problems were persistent, or even exaggerated, after that with the players he did select not given much of an opportunity, with this year having the most number of unused subs I can remember since the amateur days.


What I think I started to realise early on was that he didn't back himself and his team. I think he prepared the players well, don't get me wrong, but I'll credit him with making a conscious choice in tempering his ambition and instead choosing cohesion and to respect (the idea of it being important in himself and his players) experience first and foremost (after two tight games and that 4th game loss). I think he chose wrong in deciding not to be, and back, himself. Hard criticism.


And it played out by preferring Beauden to Dmac on the EOYT (though that may have been a planned move).


I hope I'm right, because going through all the little things of the season and coming up with these bullets, I've got to wonder when I say his last fault is one we have seen at the Crusaders, playing his best players into the ground. What I'm really scared of now is that not wanting a bit of freshness in this last game could be linked with all these other crosses that I want to put down to simple confidence issues. But are they really a sign that he just lacks vision?


Now, that's not to say I haven't seen a lot of positives as well, I just think that for the ABs to go where they want to go he has to fix these crosses. Just have difficult that will be is the question.

24 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones
Search