‘Never again tell me that rugby union is a fairly policed game’ – Readers’ outrage over Owen Farrell

Owen Farrell’s red card against Wales last Saturday has been overturned, and he is now free to play in England’s World Cup campaign.

Following the decision, Telegraph readers were quick to react in the comments section, offering their opinion on the highly controversial verdict.

The majority of readers were outraged by the decision, arguing that it was an injustice that undermines the efforts to rid the game of dangerous tackles. Some urged World Rugby to appeal the decision to clear the England captain.

Here is a selection of the best of the discussion:

‘Other players and countries can rightly feel aggrieved’

Justin Mansfield: “World Rugby have to appeal. To allow this decision to stand will undo all the work that’s gone into lowering tackle height, and will mean other players and countries can rightly feel aggrieved at the outcomes of previous judiciaries. This is a textbook case of a defender not lowering their tackle height, and tucking their arm so as to ensure they hit the ball carrier with a hard shoulder.”

‘The red card is a very destructive weapon’

Marcus Vaigncourt-Strallen: “Almost any game of rugby is spoilt for the players and the spectators if one side loses a player. The red card is a very destructive weapon. It should be there for wilful acts of dangerous play. Farrell’s tackling technique comes straight from his early days in rugby league. But I genuinely do not think he has ever tried to deliberately damage an opponent using foul means.”

‘Sympathy for Farrell clearly trumped common sense’

Karl le Roux: “If I was a part of the panel of lawyers who are taking World Rugby to court on behalf of players with head injuries, I would be rubbing my hands with glee! After all the talk of making the game safer, a clear dangerous head contact by Farrell – who is a repeat offender – which led to the player affected leaving the field with concussion and being out of rugby for at least two weeks, has been deemed below the red card threshold!?

“The manifest inconsistency boggles the mind. Farrell was never in a position to make a safe tackle, and clearly led with the shoulder. The problem here is that acknowledging that this was a red card offence would’ve meant at least a six-week ban for him considering his previous disciplinary record, and probably would have put him out of most of the World Cup.

“Sympathy for Farrell clearly trumped common sense and has made the game more dangerous for players. And increased the chances of some serious compensation needing to be paid out by World Rugby in the not too distant future.”

‘Farrell put himself in a poor position and can consider himself very lucky’

Dudley Nicholls: “I did see some commentary talking about Jamie George pushing Taine Basham and I imagine that did help cause Owen Farrell to get it wrong. However, he put himself in a poor position and can consider himself very lucky. Even as a yellow, it put England down, and he has to learn. Decision made and we should move on.”

‘The independent panel has got this right’

Bobby Moore: “Quite clear that the intervention of George caused a significant change of direction of the Welsh player immediately before contact, very little Farrell could do to adjust his position. Yes, there was head contact but certainly mitigation. The independent panel has got this right. If it was anyone else, it would be accepted, and we would all move on, but the anti-Farrell lobby is unlikely to let it rest.”

‘Never again tell me that Rugby Union is a fairly policed game’

Jane Shanahan: “As an Ireland fan, this feels profoundly unfair. The Ireland captain expresses a few expletives at the officials and gets a three-match ban just before a World Cup. In contrast, the English captain commits an illegal tackle to the head that injures a player and gets a reprieve. Never again tell me that Rugby Union is a fairly policed game. It clearly is not!”

‘We might as well not bother going to France’

Christopher Garrod: “And there we were all hoping that Farrell would get a massive ban. England fans, that is. We might as well not bother going to France if the dead hand of Farrell is failing to pull the strings of a half-decent back line. I suppose tomorrow we hear that Jack van Poortvliet has made a miraculous recovery with his great impersonation of Youngs.”

‘Decision-making in the future will be even more prolonged and challenged’

RP: “What a mess rugby is in! Whichever view you take over the incident – the bunker system was introduced to avoid unfair and rushed red cards by giving time for a review by video. I assumed that would put an end to any ongoing uncertainty and the decision was final. Now we see from one of the first incidents that it can be overturned.

“In what other professional sport would this be the case? This will now mean that decision-making in the future is even more prolonged and challenged, rather than less. Why didn’t they just leave it as a red card but not add any further game ban, thus avoiding this absolute mess and controversy?”

‘It is not a great day for rugby’

Tom Edwards: “It is not a great day for rugby. If it had been his first offence, there would be an element of ‘let it go’, but he has only in the last six months taken the last-chance tackle school. All those players suing their respective unions after being diagnosed with early onset dementia et al will be aghast at this decision.”

‘If the RFU wants to promote rugby, then they should appeal this decision’

David James: “The debate is between the old guard who see this as a great tackle straight out of the rugby league playbook. In the good old days, a player laid out semi-conscious, waited a minute, got up a little dizzy, shook his head and played on. Pints all round afterwards in the clubhouse.

“On the other hand, people want to eliminate the long-term dangers to players to make it an attractive game for young girls and boys and attractive to their parents and schools. This mitigation of what clearly was dangerous play – if you look at Farrell’s legs and body position – will harm this process. We have a sport with dwindling numbers that has to be turned around.

“If the RFU wants to promote rugby, then they should appeal this decision.”

‘There is a pattern starting to emerge’

Graham Vincent: “So that’s two games in three that England have received an erroneous red card. There is a pattern starting to emerge. As for England, I’m disappointed because this means Farrell will continue to get picked.”

What do you make of the decision? Join the conversation in the comments section