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Red-carded Scott Barrett faces missing the start of the World Cup
By Liam Heagney
Ian Foster’s All Blacks became the latest country to become embroiled in red card trouble ahead of the upcoming Rugby World Cup when Scott Barrett was sent off by referee Matthew Carley just before the interval at Twickenham on Friday night.
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England picked up bans last Tuesday for Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola that will see them miss their country’s start at France 2023.
Tonga’s Georga Moala was also unsuccessful on Thursday in his appeal of his five-game suspension for his tournament warm-up red card, and now New Zealand will be fretting that Barrett could be suspended for their September 8 World Cup opener versus France in Paris.
His penalty-ridden team, who went on to lose 7-35, were massively under the pump in the opening stages of their Qatar Airways Cup clash with the Springboks in London and Barrett was initially yellow carded on 14 minutes, a sin-binning that was swiftly followed a minute later by a yellow card for skipper Sam Cane.
South Africa used their two-man advantage to take a seven-point lead on 18 minutes courtesy of a converted Siya Kolisi try, and they doubled that lead on 34 minutes when Kurt-Lee Arendse was gifted an intercept by Jordie Barrett.
Scott Barrett – you do know there are 17 cameras around the pitch ? #NZLvRSA pic.twitter.com/xcfgPZjlLU
— Brett Igoe (@brettruganalyst) August 25, 2023
At this stage, New Zealand were 10-3 down on the penalty count and their frantic effort to get something back before the break resulted in a moment of madness from Barrett, who needlessly crashed his right shoulder down into the prone Malcolm Marx just metres from the try line.
With the clock stopped on 39 minutes, referee Carley reviewed the footage and opted to show Barrett another yellow card, resulting in him getting sent off and leaving him sweating over the receipt of a potential ban that would prevent him from being available to play against the French in two weeks’ time.
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The red card was the second brandished to Barrett in his All Blacks career. He was previously sent off in August 2019 away to Australia in the Bledisloe Cup, but his resulting ban had expired by the time that year’s World Cup in Japan began.
Down a player for the entire second half in London, the night soon went from bad to worse for the All Blacks as tries from Marx, Bongi Mbonambi (while teammate Pieter-Steph du Toit was on a yellow) and Kwagga Smith pushed the score to 35-0 by the 67th minute before Cam Roigard managed a late converted consolation.
REACTION (part one): Ian Foster opens up on the All Blacks' record defeat in London and the red card given to Scott Barrett. #AllBlacks #NZRvRSA #QatarCup #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/6uBtxuuCGd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 25, 2023
What does one expect when one entrusts the national side to an Aussie!! It's was always going to be a car crash.
Certain fans in the CS are going to have health issues with all that salt in their diet. I am not a fan of friendlies on the cusp of a RWC; It injures and cards players unnecessarily. The ABs were utterly decimated by Bok pack- in a drubbing that we are unlikely to see again in this lifetime. But woe betide the AB opposition in the group stages; they very rarely loose two on the bounce. Write them off at your peril; They are always a favorite to win the thing - no other team can claim to have such a reputation.
Penalty:Players receiving a second yellow card in a game will also be shown a red card and will be sent-off and unable to take part in the remainder of the match.
It was a red that will be reviewed and when they see his cheap shot, leading with his shoulder to the head of a prone player he'll be banned it's that simple.
Scott Barrett stupid guy again . He is specialist to have yellow card. This guy has not brain . He cannot be captain in the future for all blacks. He doesn’t learn of his mistakes. It is necessary to do this on Marx ??
What a 🤡 !!!
I think the ‘uppercut’ whilst not what was wanted, will prove to be very valuable going forward. Personnel-wise, I dare say we now see Laulala come in to start. Taylor and Samisoni are two best hookers. Scooter still our top lock at present but I feel him and Retallick are our top combination now. Roigard definitely #2 halfback. Hard to judge the backs when we lost the battle up front. That’s where the game was lost. 9-15 almost get a free pass on this game for mine.
That was pretty dire stuff.
It's about time the Allblacks play Leicester on the wing and Telea on the other, with Jordan at fullback. BB needs to start on the bench.
Malcolm Marx was wiping blood from his brow after the hit. Barrett came with speed and intention hitting a prone player with his shoulder on the head.
Billy V got 3 weeks hitting a player on the head when the player ducked into contact. Barrett will be cited by the foil play commissioner who will then decide if a suspension is required.
the English will appeal for a suspension on barrett- 3 weeks..