Warburton favours law change to rule out repeat of Steward red

25 March 2023 , 09:57

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Steward and Keenan collide in incident which led to England fullback's first half dismissal (Image: 9165-5)

Sam Warburton says a law being trialled Down Under can be the answer to preventing a repeat of the Freddie Steward red card fiasco.

Steward returns to club rugby today for Leicester against Bristol with his reputation intact after the first sending off of his career was struck from the record.

That is of little consolation to England, whose victory chance in Dublin went the moment they were controversially reduced to 14 men before half time.

“My feeling in the game was that it should have been a yellow,” said Warburton of the incident in which the England fullback collided with Irish opposite number Hugo Keenan, who had stooped to gather a loose ball.

“Rugby can’t be as black and white as a shoulder to the head is off. There are so many moving parts in the game. Accidents like that will always happen in the game of rugby.”

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Steward, who inadvertently struck Keenan’s head with his elbow as he braced for contact, protested that with only “milliseconds” to react he had nowhere else to go.

Referee Jaco Peyper sends off Steward in Dublin on stroke of half-time (David Rogers/Getty Images)

He denied he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card and disciplinary chiefs agreed, concluding there were "sufficient mitigating factors”.

Warburton believes rugby can never be completely safe, such is the nature of the sport, though every effort should be made to minimise danger.

Which is why he likes the new law under trial in the Southern Hemisphere’s Super Rugby competition.

Warburton: “My feeling in the game was that it should have been a yellow”

“What they’re saying is that if there’s a suspected red card you go off for a yellow,” he said.

“There’s then a 10-minute period where the TMO (television match official) decides whether it gets upgraded to a 20-minute red or stays as a yellow.”

In that event the player will not return to the field but can still be replaced. Referees do, however, retain the power to issue a full red card for deliberate foul play.

Steward denied having committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card and disciplinary chiefs agreed (The RFU Collection via Getty Ima)

Warburton says the Steward incident, which disfigured the Six Nations finale, is a “perfect” example of where that law would ensure an injustice was not done.

Freddie Burns, who plays in Super Rugby for the Highlanders, or did before breaking his leg last Friday, agrees it is the way forward.

“In my opinion (it) just makes sense,” he said.

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Freddie Burns another in favour of Southern Hemisphere law (Getty Images)

Warburton, himself the recipient of a contentious red card at the 2011 World Cup, has teamed up with Asahi Super dry and Opta to pick the young players to watch at this year’s tournament.

England duo Alex Mitchell and Jack Willis make the list along with Wales wing Rio Dyer, France’s Ethan Dumortier and Ireland pair Luke Crosbie and Tom O’Toole.

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Alex Spink