Wallabies want ‘consistency’ after Farrell red card escape sparks outrage
By Tom Decent and Iain Payten
Wallabies halfback Nic White is happy Owen Farrell has been cleared to play at the Rugby World Cup but says the game’s judiciary must now show consistency when it comes to similar matters with lesser stars after the England captain contentiously dodged a suspension for a high tackle.
Farrell was red-carded against Wales at the weekend after officials deemed he had not used his arms and made high contact with flanker Tiane Basham. With a long record of similar offences, Farrell was facing the prospect of missing the Rugby World Cup with a six-week suspension. But in a shock development, a judicial panel instead rescinded Farrell’s red card.
Owen Farrell was red-carded for this high shot but escaped suspension.
The all-Australian panel of lawyer Adam Casselden, and former Wallabies John Langford and David Croft, heard the case by video link and agreed with England’s submission that the actions of England teammate Jamie George had caused Basham to dip late, and that should have been enough to not upgrade Farrell’s yellow card.
The decision caused uproar and was widely criticised as being counterproductive in World Rugby’s concerted push to make the game safer. Former England coach Clive Woodward called it “mind-boggling” and there may yet be an appeal by World Rugby.
But White said he had no issues with Farrell being cleared.
England captain Owen Farrell is free to line up against Ireland this weekend.Credit: Reuters
“As a player all we ask for is consistency,” White said. “If that’s the way they’re leaning, it’s good. He’s a guy who means no harm on anyone.
“He goes in with a lot of aggression with his tackles. He’s a serious competitor and a good bloke. He’s a big name and we want him in the World Cup. It’d be a shame to see a World Cup without him, but there’s also guys where we need to see that consistency used when they are not as big of a name. That’s all we ask for.
“I hope they ... [have] an open mind to things being a rugby mistake. I think it’s a good thing to see him at the World Cup.”
Fuelling the outrage about Farrell’s escape was a 10-week suspension given to Tongan George Moala on the same day, despite having a clean record.
The Wallabies wrap up their last training session at Victoria Barracks.Credit: Getty
Wallabies captain Will Skelton, who played with Farrell at Saracens, declined to comment on his ex-teammate’s situation but said the Australian squad had been working hard on making sure their tackle technique did not fall foul of the match officials.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup will be the first to use the yellow card review protocol, where a video official studies foul play while a player is in the sin bin to decide if the card should be upgraded to red. This was the system used – and overturned – in Farrell’s case.
“Defensively our coaches are well onto it at training – how we tackle and target just under the ball,” Skelton said.
“You never intentionally go out to put headshots on or make direct contact with the head. We are trying to keep this game safe. Especially for me, I am six-foot-seven, and I have to lower my body height in tackles. I have been on the wrong end of red cards and whatnot, and hurting my team. So for us, we are really focused on that body height into tackles and trying to get that [man] on the ground.”
The Wallabies fly out on Thursday for their Rugby World Cup campaign and the team spent Wednesday afternoon at a fan farewell event at Drummoyne Oval. Skelton admitted he was still coming to grips with his new role as captain.
Captain Will Skelton is still coming to grips with his new role.Credit: Getty
“If I look at it as a burden or pressure, it will get to my head and I won’t be able to fulfil it to my full capabilities, so I am excited about what’s to come,” Skelton said.
“I always just try to be myself. If I give any advice, it’s just being yourself and when I got this role, I never wanted to change. And in this first week I have done that, I have tried to be who I am and stuck to it.”
Asked if he would use Farrell, who was his captain at Saracens, as a captaincy template, Skelton said fiery sprays were not his thing.
“Owen is his own man,” Skelton said. “He is a competitor, he is fiery, he demands nothing but the best from his teammates.
“I have been on the back end of a few sprays from him during training sessions. Owen is a good man, I get along with him really well. I won’t be using too much of his leadership qualities because I think we do things a lot differently. But that’s just him.”
McReight says Hooper omission caught him off guard
Wallabies back-rower Fraser McReight says he was shocked and saddened by the omission of Michael Hooper from Australia’s Rugby World Cup squad, but has vowed to do his country proud if given the chance in France.
Hooper has been nursing a calf injury since early July and has not featured in Australia’s past three Tests.
Fraser McReight poses for a photo with some young fans.Credit: Getty
The Wallabies centurion was on the comeback from injury and expected to be named by Eddie Jones in a 33-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in France.
However, Hooper’s non-selection last week was a clear sign that Jones wants to go in a different direction with McReight and Tom Hooper given the nod as Australia’s two potential options at No.7 for the tournament.
“There was a lot of surprises there,” McReight said. “I was shocked and sad to see he was not there. Super excited [for] myself.
“It’s going to be a great challenge over there. As a team, we have a lot of work to do. For me, it’s trying to be consistent. I have to fight for that jersey as well.”
Hooper, a veteran of two World Cups and 125 Tests, has sent his best wishes to McReight, having worked closely with the youngster in recent years.
“He messaged me this morning and said, ‘Go well mate’,” McReight said.
“I’ve had a few messages back and forward with him through the past few weeks. We keep in touch. I’m sure that won’t be the last of it.”
McReight and family members cracked open a bottle of champagne last Wednesday evening when the Queenslander got the phone call he’d been hoping for.
“I was at Bunnings getting some paint,” McReight said. “I got a call … saying I was on the flight. I was pretty excited, obviously. There was a lot of nerves and anxiety that day, not knowing what was going to happen, wanting to find out.”
“The first thing I did was text the family group chat and said, ‘I’m going’. They came over that night, and we had a glass of champagne to celebrate.”
The Wallabies will play a World Cup warm-up match against France next Sunday in Paris (August 27). The team then has a 13-day wait until their opening match of the World Cup against Georgia.
After watching Australians revel in the glory of great Matildas performances in recent weeks, McReight hopes Australia’s rugby players can have similar success.
“Last night we got the new World Cup outfit,” McReight said. “Going through that was like Christmas.
“Super keen to get over there and do Australia proud. You look at the Matildas and what they’re doing for the game in football for girls and boys. We want to do that for rugby and make everyone proud.
“There were some very tough calls and they were hard to make. I think everyone knows that.”
Watch all the action from Rugby World Cup 2023 on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. Every match ad-free, live and on demand in 4K UHD from September 9.
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