'Astounding decision': Owen Farrell red card rescinding slammed by rugby safety pressure group

England's Owen Farrell is called over by referee Nika Amashukeli to be shown a yellow card, which was later upgraded to a red card by the TMO.

Farrell was sent off at Twickenham on Saturday when his yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Taine Basham was upgraded to a red by the ‘Bunker’ review system. But a disciplinary panel decided that a “late change in dynamics” due to Jamie George’s involvement in the contact area “brought about a sudden and significant change in direction from the ball carrier”. Using this mitigation it was decided by the all-Australian panel that Farrell – who was expected to face a mid-range sanction of a six-week suspension – should have been hit with a sin-binning only.

Farrell appeared before the independent judicial committee via video link and admitted that his shoulder-led tackle to the head of Basham – who as a result failed an HIA – was illegal but worthy of 10 minutes in the sin-bin only. After a review of the evidence, it was decided that the “foul play review officer was wrong, on the balance of probabilities, to upgrade the yellow card”.

In coming to its verdict, the panel said no criticism of the foul play review officer was being made given the time in which he had to review the incident and make a decision. It means that Farrell, who was widely tipped to miss the World Cup opener against Argentina on September 9, is also free to lead England against Ireland on Saturday.

Not long after the ruling, Progressive Rugby took to social media, labelling the decision “astounding” and claiming that it undermines the bunker process that was recently introduced during the World Cup warm-up matches. “Today’s astounding decision to overturn the given to Owen Farrell for his tackle on Taine Basham has made a mockery of World Rugby’s claim that player welfare is the game’s number one priority,” wrote Professor John Fairclough of Progressive Rugby. “Additionally, despite protestations in the judgement to the contrary, it has critically undermined the newly introduced bunker process before a global tournament and eroded confidence in the game’s judicial process which is meant to help protect those playing the game.”