Watch: Beno Obano sent off in Premiership final – was it the right decision?

Bath prop Beno Obano was sent off in the 21st minute of the Gallagher Premiership final against Northampton Saints for a dangerous tackle on Juarno Augustus.

But was it the right decision?

After a collision like the one between Obano and Augustus, where there is obvious contact with the carrier’s head, a referee needs convincing of mitigation to avoid brandishing a red card.

The fact that it has occurred in a final, with emotions running high, simply cannot count.

Indeed, Obano’s dismissal was an example of clear-headed team work from the officials, because Christophe Ridley, refereeing his first domestic decider, initially missed the offence. Tom Foley, a television match official assured enough to be appointed to last year’s World Cup final, needed to intervene.

The subsequent dialogue, while replays were shown on the big screen and the tension heightened, painted a fair picture.

Ridley: “There’s contact direct to the chin.”
Foley: “Agreed.”
Ridley: “It’s definitely foul play, because he’s always hitting upwards.”
Foley: “Yes, agreed.”
Ridley: “The level of danger is clearly high because he is always moving forwards into the tackle.”
Foley: “Agreed.”
Ridley: “We aren’t considering any mitigation at this point, having had a conversation.”
Foley: “I’m just going to show you one more angle to see if you think there is a little dip into the contact beforehand.”
Ridley: “OK, so we’re looking for sudden or significant dip into the contact.”
Foley: “Let’s check this angle. I’ve got another angle, do you want me to stop.”
Ridley: “OK, Tom, I’m seeing that as a natural brace for a collision, I’m not seeing that as an unusual, sudden, significant [dip] – there has to be some preparation for some sort of brace so I’m not considering that as mitigation and I’m thinking red card.”
Foley: “I would agree.”

Those last three words from Foley represented Ridley’s cue to send off Obano, who was visibly and understandably distraught as he crossed the touchline and took a seat on the Bath bench.

In truth, as soon as Foley had identified the tackle and brought it to the attention of Ridley, the loosehead prop was on very thin ice.

Straightaway, Augustus knew that it was serious. Without making too much of a fuss, he had turned from the floor towards Ridley and held out an arm.

Officials do not tend to dole out much sympathy in such situations, when a player returns a restart, because defenders usually have an unobstructed view of their target.

Obano might have argued that Thomas du Toit, whom Augustus had rounded, gave him slightly less time to lower. Augustus did lean forward and brace, too. But Ridley and Foley took those things into consideration.

A yellow card would have been a cop-out to appease the occasion. Two years ago, Saracens scrum-half Aled Davies was sin-binned for a similar tackle on Julian Montoya during the Premiership final that was eventually won by Saracens. The former was subsequently cited and banned.

There were many neutrals at Twickenham and watching this occasion, some of whom will have repeated the cry that red cards ruin games. Incidents such as this are pretty much the reason that 20-minute red cards, which allow the offender to be replaced after that period, have come into being in a bid to counteract tougher sanctions.

All that said, and as much of a shame as it was for his excellent campaign to have ended this way, with an England tour looking a genuine possibility, Obano can have had few complaints.