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A disciplinary panel has handed out suspensions to two Major League Rugby players who received red cards during the first week of action. Toronto Arrows prop Gastón Cortes and New England Free Jacks scrumhalf John Poland were each sent off in their respective games.
Cortes was sent from the field by referee Mike Lash in the 68th minute of Toronto’s game against Rugby ATL. When arriving at a ruck, the Argentine international was viewed to have made contact to the back of ATL scrumhalf Rowan Gouws, who was prone in the ruck and required treatment when play stopped.
The incident was not immediately visible during live play and in fact the on-field sanction itself was not shown on camera. As a result the commentary team, located remotely, did not recognize the send-off and it wasn’t until the next day when fans were made aware of the decision.
Toronto will be without Cortes for the next two games as a result. He will be free to return for the April 10 game against the LA Giltinis, currently slated to be played in Marietta.
Poland was sent off 51 minutes into the game against the LA Giltinis. Referee Derek Summers issued the orders after a discussion with Assistant Referee Andrew Stockton. The former Ireland u20 cap was deemed to have kicked Giltinis eightman Adam Ashe in the head while attempting to ‘fly-hack’ a loose ball beside a ruck.
The incident has sparked considerable debate over the merit of the card, with some arguing that the contact should be considered incidental as Ashe dove on the ball at the exact moment when Poland went to kick the ball forwards. When Summers explained the decision to Free Jacks captain Josh Larsen on the field he explained there was ‘no mitigation’ and therefore the only option was a red card.
While there is no question that Poland did not intend to kick Ashe, under the current World Rugby Head Contact Process (HCP) intent is not factored in the decision though mitigating circumstances may be applied to reduce the on-field sanction. When queried on the incident on social media, prominent sport scientist and World Rugby consultant Ross Tucker said it was the first such case he had seen since the sanctioning framework had been established.
Tucker’s initial assessment was a red card though mitigating circumstances – specifically that Ashe was in motion and changing height – could be applied to reduce the sanction to a yellow card. He also noted, however, that there may be an argument against mitigation.
I can however see an argument against mitigation too, if one assumes that it is expected that a player will attempt to dive on a loose ball that close to a ruck, then going ahead with a kick is reckless & the player must be sure to avoid harm when doing it. It would be similar to
— Ross Tucker (@Scienceofsport) March 24, 2021
As it stands Poland has been suspended for four weeks, which would rule him out until New England’s game against Old Glory DC in Leesburg on April 25. The Free Jacks have appealed the ruling with a new hearing set for Thursday, March 25.
