A STAND-OUT PERFORMER in England’s commanding 45-7 win over the USA, England centre Piers Francis has been cited for the very first tackle made in yesterday’s game.
The 29-year-old smashed Will Hooley directly off the kick-off and was fortunate to escape sanction at the time.
Today he has been cited under Law 9.13 (dangerous high tackle) and must face a disciplinary committee of Nigel Hampton, Frank Hadden and John Langford. Hampton and Hadden were on the disciplinary panel who handed Australia’s Reece Hodge a three-game ban for a similar offence earlier this week.
The disciplinary committee will decide if the England back’s action deserved a first-minute red card.
Later in that game, Corkman John Quill was issued a straight red card for his shoulder-to-head hit on Owen Farrell and he won’t feature in this World Cup again unless the Eagles manage to make the knockout stage.
The Youghal native’s offence was deemed worth of a mid-range sanction. After an early admission that the red was warranted, Quill and his representatives argued that the act was reckless, but not deliberate.
"Direct shoulder to the head. High danger. No mitigation"
— eir Sport (@eirSport) September 26, 2019
ICYMI: Here's the incident that saw John Quill sent off for a reckless challenge on Owen Farrell earlier today.
Watch the Rugby World Cup LIVE on eir sport. #RWC2019 #ENGvUSA pic.twitter.com/oP7l8qkxPf
“The Player’s credible account,” explains the statement, “as to his expectation that the English player was going to pass the ball on and was not expecting that the opponent would run on, carrying the ball, in his direction.
The Panel was persuaded, on the balance of probabilities, that the pivoting of the Player’s body to his right, with the unfortunate promotion of his left shoulder which made contact with the opponent’s right jaw, was a reactive, and defensive, response by the Player to an unexpected situation.”
In addition, “The opponent (Farrell) accepted that the impact on him was “not as forceful as the (video) footage appears to suggest.””
Quill will be banned up to and including 13 October, the final day of the pool stage, so he will miss out on matches against France, Argentina and Tonga.
Gavan Casey is joined by Andy Dunne and, from Japan, Murray Kinsella ahead of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup opener against Scotland.
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
