«Breaking News» Wasps 41-35 Leicester: Juan de Jongh Hosts edge 14-man Tigers after Will Spencer sees red

Perhaps Leicester should consider starting with 14 men in future, after the Tigers responded to Will Spencer’s controversial red card with furious defiance, before eventually losing with honour in Coventry.

Rugby’s most pressing dilemma is how to preserve its combative nature while also protecting its protagonists – sometimes from themselves. 

That balancing-act issue exploded back to the top of the sport’s agenda yesterday, as a result of the incident which led to Spencer’s dismissal.

Will Spencer (left) of Leicester Tigers is sent off by referee Ian Tempest in the first half

Juan de Jongh scored a brace to help Wasps beat a stubborn 14-man Leicester Tigers

The visitors’ lock was shown the red card by referee Ian Tempest seconds before half-time, for a high tackle on Tommy Taylor, the Wasps hooker. Those are the outline details, but the nature of the offence swiftly divided opinion within the sport; between advocates of the new, reinforced laws and critics who decry how the nature of the game is being vandalised.

There were countless past and present players in the latter category, despite the fact that the crackdown on contact with the head is designed to safeguard players’ welfare. This latest example of the new zero-tolerance official stance prompted uproar in many quarters. Social media was soon awash with incensed comment, with the decision derided as ‘pathetic’ and ‘a joke’.

Taylor had received the ball from Lima Sopoaga and quickly passed it on. He was not stooping into contact, but the 6ft home forward had his knees bent as Spencer – who stands at 6ft 7in tall – hit him fractionally late, with his shoulder appearing to strike Taylor’s jaw.

The incident was reviewed and after assessing all the footage, Tempest felt there was no option but to send off Leicester’s No 5. Tigers captain Tom Youngs responded by saying: ‘Rugby has changed.’ That much is beyond doubt.

Spencer (L) was shown a red card moments before half-time for a high tackle on Tommy Taylor

De Jongh gets past Ben Youngs to score his side's fourth try during at the Ricoh Arena

As Spencer trudged off, bemused and aghast, he was greeted by his head coach, Geordan Murphy, who told him: ‘Bulls***, mate. Bulls***.’ The Irishman was still simmering after the game when he told BT Sport: ‘The game is going too PC. That for me is crazy.’

He later added: ‘The red card kind of killed the game. The TMO seemed to be on the side that it had to be a red card and was trying to push for that, saying to the ref, “Look at it again. Look at it again”.

‘Rugby is a collision sport for all sizes. It will end up like rugby league, with all players the same size and shape. I understand the principle of trying to look after the players, but if it is a head shot then surely Taylor stays down and has a HIA (head injury assessment), but he didn’t.

‘I see the game becoming very different to the game I played and love. They (rugby’s authorities) are making laws on the basis of trying to look after players, but I’m not sure which players and coaches they are consulting.’

Lima Sopoaga’s three late penalties clinched a tense victory on Sunday afternoon

There was a certain amount of sympathy from Wasps too, although the victors’ director of rugby, Dai Young, emphasised that everyone knows precisely where they stand. ‘Whether the game has to go this way or not, it's clear,’ he said. ‘That's the law. It’s there. We've had the directive that any tackle direct to the head is a red card.

‘It’s harsh and I’d have been disappointed if it was on our side, but I don’t think it's something the referee should be criticised for. I hope the player doesn’t get banned for it. There was definitely no intent. ‘We have to protect the players. The guys who are saying the game’s gone soft are guys who are not out there.’

Spencer’s dismissal over-shadowed a compelling derby. Inspired by the outstanding George Ford, Leicester rallied after being reduced to 14. They were 25-18 and a man down at the break, but took the lead when Sione Kalamafoni blasted over the line from close range. After Juan De Jongh carved through the Tigers for his second try, Murphy’s men once again turned the tables through a combination which had worked once already – Ford as the creator and Jonny May as finisher.

But Wasps eventually made their superior numbers tell, as Lima Sopoaga’s three late penalties clinched a tense victory. The result itself will not create after-shocks, but the red card surely will. 

Link article

https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/16/wasps-41-35-leicester-juan-de-jongh-hosts-edge-14-man-tigers-after-will-spencer-sees-red/
Main photo article Perhaps Leicester should consider starting with 14 men in future, after the Tigers responded to Will Spencer’s controversial red card with furious defiance, before eventually losing with honour in Coventry.
Rugby’s most pressing dilemma is how to preserve its combative nature while also prot...

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