LAST UPDATE | 8 Jul 2022
IRELAND ARE BELIEVED to have received feedback from World Rugby that New Zealand should have been shown two yellow cards in last weekend’s first Test at Eden Park.
The42 understands that World Rugby informed Ireland that New Zealand’s Scott Barrett and Rieko Ioane should have been sin-binned, while the latter’s tackle on Joey Carbery should have resulted in a penalty try.
Ioane prevented Carbery from scoring with a last-ditch tackle on the 58-minute mark with New Zealand leading 35-12.
Referee Karl Dickson called for a review with his TMO, Marius van der Westhuizen, and decided that Carbery had lost control of the ball over the tryline.
Van der Westhuizen flagged to Dickson that there had been “a dangerous, high tackle” by Ioane, but Dickson said, “I’m not seeing actually head contact, I’m seeing it just over the shoulder.”
However, it’s understood that World Rugby’s review of the game – led by the head of match officials, Joël Jutge – has provided clarity that dangerous tackling includes tackling a player above the line of the shoulders.
The foul play prevented a probable try for Carbery and, as such, should have been a penalty try and a yellow carded for Ioane.
That would have brought Ireland back to 35-19 on the scoreboard with 22 minutes left in Auckland.
The second incident took place in the 75th minute with New Zealand by then having pushed on into a 42-12 lead.
Scott Barrett charged Peter O’Mahony at the back of an Irish ruck, failing to use his arms and seemingly making contact with the back of O’Mahony’s head/neck.
Dickson gave Ireland a penalty for this offence but decided against showing Barrett a card, stating to O’Mahony that “I thought it was on the body with no arm, that’s what I saw.”
The incident attracted lots of attention post-match, with plenty of confusion about why Barrett had not been shown a card.
It’s understood that Ireland received feedback this week that Barrett should have been yellow carded for foul play, with World Rugby stating that the incident should have been reviewed during the game.
With the All Blacks already in a comfortable winning position at that late stage of the game, a sin-binning for Barrett is unlikely to have made any major difference but it’s thought that Ireland have welcomed the clarity provided by World Rugby.
The two teams meet in the second Test of their three-game series tomorrow in Dunedin, with South Africa referee Jaco Peyper taking charge of the game.
Dickson will be involved again as an assistant referee, as will Jordan Way, while Tom Foley will act as the TMO.
