DURBAN – Opinion is divided over whether England captain Owen Farrell should have been penalised for his tackle on Andre Esterhuizen at the death of the dramatic test match at Twickenham on Saturday. IOL Sport's Mike Greenaway highlights some of the opinions below:
Jonathan Kaplan (former international referee) on twitter:
Owen Farrell was lucky to escape sanction for last-gasp 'no arms' tackle on Andre Esterhuizen.”
England coach Eddie Jones:
I’ve got no idea if he will be cited. “I was thinking I hope he doesn’t penalise us. It was a good solid tackle. It’s not for me to adjudicate. Anyway, you can get cited now for something you did at a party when you were 15. The good thing is they didn’t have iPhones when I was 15. We had Nokia phones… the little ones that didn’t have a camera.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus (dripping with sarcasm):
“Nothing upset me, because if it was legal we just have to latch on a little bit and tackle the same. If it was legal, we should do it because it’s very effective. To tackle a guy like Andre Esterhuizen like that and stop him in his tracks, that’s unbelievable, so we’ll have to try and practice that.”
Rassie: To tackle a guy like Andre Esterhuizen like that and stop him in his tracks, that’s unbelievable. Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
Former Ireland star Brian O’Driscoll on twitter:
Reckon the ref got that Farrell hit spot on! Not enough evidence that there was no attempt to wrap an arm. Collision was MASSIVE.”
O’Driscoll again:
“Thought the height was okay. The issue for me was a wrapped arm. It’s a tight call but felt there was something there not to decide a Test match on. And for those saying is it a penalty in the first 20, that has no relevance because the game is reffed differently when the clock goes red!”
Dr Ross Tucker, who has worked with World Rugby on the new high tackle laws. On twitter:
If his shoulder strikes the head, red and long ban. But because it didn’t, it is a level down, so pen and yellow.