All Blacks skipper Read escapes sanction for clear foul play

All Blacks captain Kieran Read will not be sanctioned for an off-the ball foul on Pieter-Steph du Toit during the team’s Rugby World Cup opener against the Springboks.

Video posted to social media clearly shows that Read taking out the Springbok flank after a lineout, the challenge from the All Blacks skipper was both off the ball and high.

Read fumed earlier in the game when referee Jerome Garces failed to card Springbok wing Makazole Mapimpi when he terminated the first singificant All Black attack of the match by hanging on to the ball on the ground to prevent the defending world champions from taking the lead with a try.

Spark Sports New Zealand commentator Scott Stevenson related Read’s reaction to viewers of its Rugby World Cup coverage: “Kieran Read’s words if you did not hear them were ‘that’s pretty gutless’,” 

https://twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1175775265718489089

Coaching staff evasive over foul play questions

All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster was evasive when asked about the incident. Foster confirmed he had seen the video but claimed that the game needs to have faith in the disciplinary programmes.

“I think the game needs to be reassured we are probably the most scrutinised World Cup we’ve ever had with the amount of cameras on and what people are looking at, and citing commissioners and TMOs. You’ve just got to have faith in that programme rather than reacting to social media,” Foster said at a press conference on Monday.

For their part the Springboks management did not see fit to submit the incident to the citing commissioner which is curious. Rassie Erasmus declared himself happy with the referee’s performance in the wake of the match and has not commented on the officiating since. Garces was inarguably inaccurate, and the TMO Gareth Hughes offered him little backup.

Clearly available replays showed instances of foul play committed by both teams that went unpunished on the day and will now remain unsanctioned.

Does World Rugby favour the All Blacks?

A sentiment expressed across social media is that the All Blacks get special treatment from World Rugby as the game’s most distinct and marketable brand, but there is no credible evidence to suggest a wider conspiracy to favour New Zealand. While Garces’ penalty count went 9-4 in favour of the All Blacks he missed incidents from both teams that could have had game-changing repurcussions.

Garces has been ceaselessly praised for his permissive style, although the Irish have had some cause to complain about his control of matches in the past but at the Rugby World Cup two wrongs don’t make a right.

The failure to sanction Mapimpi for a professional foul does not justify allowing Read to execute a cheap shot on a Springbok player, further, the Read incident also does not excuse Bok foul play.

Foul play, especially dangerous and cynical challenges like Read’s clothesline on Du Toit or the neckroll cleanout employed by Franco Mostert have no place in the modern game. World Rugby cannot guarantee the safety of players if dangerous play is allowed under the guise of ensuring the contest flows and isn’t marred by red cards.

World Rugby has had to counter claims made by fans, pundits and even coaches that it’s officials favour stronger more established rugby nations and a raft of refereeing errors that favoured the favourites on the first weekend was not a good look. If World Rugby is conspiring against certain nations they have done a great job of keeping evidence away from the world’s sporting media. It seems more likely that if officials favour one team or another they do so unconsciously.

The onyl immediate solution to the problem is to use the technology available to ensure the right call is made as often as possible. Technology is the only way officials will ever be able to stay on top of eveything happening on the field in an increasingly high-paced game. Television replays need to be used though, if not by the TMO then by the citing commission. It doesn no good to have multiple cameras if officials turn a blind eye to clear video evidence of foul play.