If the arbiters in rugby are consistent at anything, it is their inconsistency in punishing dangerous tackles in the air. Last week, CJ Stander saw red against South Africa for this extremely reckless tackle in the air on Pat Lambie:
A red-card was further punished with a one-week ban for Stander. While Stander was undoubtedly reckless, the general feeling was that the red card was partly given based on the apparent severity of Lambie's injury. The idea that decisions and cards are doled out based on the opponent's injury was given further credence this morning, as Waisake Naholo's only punishment for this late hit on an airborne Liam Williams was a penalty. Watch below:
What does Naholo have to do to get a yellow card?
— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) June 18, 2016
Payne gets red and a ban, Naholo gets a penalty. *shakes head* #rugby
— Ian Price (@goatteeboy) June 18, 2016
Ref asking Reid if he's happy not to yellow card Naholo for tackling Williams in the air. Brilliant
— Tom Shanklin (@TomShanklin) June 18, 2016
That might have been a yellow. Naholo a lucky lad there #NZLvWAL
— Three Red Kings (@threeredkings) June 18, 2016
Perhaps on its own merits the Naholo incident did not warrant a yellow card, but in the context of other decisions in the last few years it probably deserved at least yellow. To continue to judge decisions and cards based on the how the opponent falls seems to be incredibly short-sighted.
New Zealand unsurprisingly won: 36-22.
