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Owen Farrell red card set to limit World Cup participation
By Ian Cameron
England captain Owen Farell is almost certain to miss England’s Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina in Marseille in four weeks’ time.
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In a disastrous moment for Steve Borthwick’s England, a head-high shoulder shot on Wales replacement row Taine Basham in the 62nd minute was sent for a Bunker review by referee Nika Amashukeli and it was duly upgraded to a red.
It means that with a likely three-game ban, Farrell will miss England’s game warm-up games against Fiji and Ireland, and then their Rugby World Cup opener against Los Pumas.
Owen Farrell Yellow Card ?
‘Bunker’ review system back into play.#ENGvWAL pic.twitter.com/UgTC6XOgcS
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) August 12, 2023
To make matters worse, Farrell joined Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward in the sin-bin as England went down to just 12 men for a period. Steward had been carded for a reckless air challenge on Liam Williams, which saw him yellow carded and Wales’ awarded a penalty try.
The card came after scrumhalf Jack van Poortvliet was carried off the pitch, throwing his Rugby World Cup participation into doubt. The Leicester scrumhalf departed with a damaged ankle following an accidental collision, while Henry Arundell was sent to the sin-bin for not retreating 10 yards.
Owen Farrell Red Card ?
Upgraded from Yellow Card after bunker review system. #ENGvWAL pic.twitter.com/94pD0o93at
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) August 12, 2023
Warren Gatland’s Wales didn’t fare much better. Captain Dewi Lake hobbled off to add to Gatland’s injury concerns at hooker.
In the second half Taine Plumtree was next to depart for the stands nursing an injury as play continued to be marred by error after error for both sides.
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additional reporting PA
Hate to say "Told you so"...
Comments that the "tackle school" is a joke are valid. He is paid a lot to play, and is, supposedly a pro. Darrell's arrogance is best handled by a comenusurate ban. He is unsafe on the field, a danger to opponents.
Stop him before he causes a serious injury, the likelihood of which does not influence him.
Butch James had the exact same tendency prior to 2007 WC, but he seemed to have learned to refrain from executing flying shoulder charges. Farrel has never had a good tackle technique, and relies on his bulk to tackle, making his first instinct to cannonball. He should get a long ban and the Boks should be awarded the game in retrospect when he did the same to Esterhuizen. Then Eng will be ranked 10 and shift to our group and not make it out of the pool. 😉
It took this long, and a whole secondary review system to be brought into the game, for Farrell to finally get a red card for his arsehole dangerous tackling. Looong overdue.
I hope he does get a lengthy ban, he has become a liability. What type of captain plays like that when you have 2 players in the bin ? It should be a time for cool heads not wild reckless tackles, what example does that set to the rest of the team ? He does not appear to learn from his mistakes, he will probably just come back into the team and do it again . Lets not forget Basham failed a HIA because of that tackle. Owen might not be a thug but that just makes him an idiot.
Let’s be honest, England played better once Farrell went off. Do England and the game a big favour by dropping him for RWC. Welsh player failed his HIA due to deliberate foul play by a guy who has plenty of previous.
I think this is a case of Farrell facing excessive scrutiny because of past form. On this one though, I'm comfortable with it remaining a yellow. There is an attempted arm wrap and Basham is going down as the contact is made. Everything is exaggerated frame by frame but when you have guys running at each other at speed it's just a tad sloppy but I'm not seeing ill intent.
He’s been a repeat offender of head high tackles for so long now. World rugby needs to make an example of him but I doubt they have the backbone to do it to a NH team captain before the RWC
No guys, it's a legal tackle! He did the same against André Esterhuizen and the ref and tmo deemed it a legal tackle.
How could that Ferrell tackle not be a direct red card? Always two systems when England and especially Ferrel are involved. With his history should be out till next year, pretty sure they'll give him two weeks bam, and ready for the world cup.