Rugby World Cup 2011

[bcarrier]

The more times I see the tackle the worse it gets.

[trileacman]

Your son or team mate?

The worst part of it was the impact shuddering it up through his skill and thorax in slow motion.

[trileacman]

ITV taking a very measured approach as usual - Wales were "cheated".

Soccer-esque moaning going on. Slabbering c***ts.

[sammymaguire]

George Hook on the RTE is a complete and utter knob

[Craigyhill Terror]

Milltown, it wasn't a red card.  Calling it as a clear red card is just being awkward and controversial for the sake of it.

I'll be in the awkward and controversial camp as well, then. Clear red

[thewobbler]

Everything looks worse in slow motion.

I never even called it as a foul when watching it unfold. A yellow would have surprised me at that stage.

[Capt Pat]

There was not a drop goal opportunity right at the end. There was an opportunity 5 minutes earlier and it wasn't taken either.

What a gift France will be for whoever makes the final.

[sammymaguire]

Don't think it deserved a red. The guy was not intentionally driving that man into the ground. Yellow deserved at worst.

Wales had enough chances to win the game and more reason why the try should be worth more than 5 points as it is much harder to score a try than kick a ball over the posts.

The kick which dropped inches short was sickening for them.

[Hardy]

There was not a drop goal opportunity right at the end. There was an opportunity 5 minutes earlier and it wasn't taken either.

Correct - that's what I meant.

On the tackle - even after two hours of slow motion (a very unfair judge is the slow motion camera) rugby experts can't agree on whether it's a red a yellow or nothing. Yet millions feel free to vilify the ref for getting it wrong (in their opinion) in a split second. Which raises the question - should it be a split-second decision? Is the ref not allowed to consult the TMO for a sending-off decision?

[Capt Pat]

Everything looks worse in slow motion.

I never even called it as a foul when watching it unfold. A yellow would have surprised me at that stage.

It obviously looked bad at full speed to Rolland. A slow motion made it look not too bad.

[deiseach]

Milltown, it wasn't a red card.  Calling it as a clear red card is just being awkward and controversial for the sake of it.

I'll be in the awkward and controversial camp as well, then. Clear red

Me too. If that was in a Division 2 AIL game few would dispute the red card. The logic of those defending Warburton seems to be that because it was a major disadvantage to Wales (and it was, they were out on their feet when trying to get across the French 10 metre line at the end) in a World Cup semi-final, the ref should have copped out and given a yellow. It reminded me of when Terje Hauge red-carded Jens Lehmann in the 2006 European Cup final. Nobody thought it was the wrong decision yet he got pilloried for 'ruining the game as a contest', as if it was his fault that Lehmann took Eto'o out. Fair play to Alain Rolland for having the courage to make the big call

[Milltown Row2]

Everything looks worse in slow motion.

I never even called it as a foul when watching it unfold. A yellow would have surprised me at that stage.

Your son or team mate?

The worst part of it was the impact shuddering it up through his skill and thorax in slow motion.

So slow motion makes the tackle less of a red and more of a yellow? Again had that been BOD on the end of that.....

You can unintentionally foul someone and still get sent off

[thewobbler]

Milltown, it takes a lot to get sent off in rugby. Someone's argument above about AIL2 is nonsense - there's about 5 sendings off a season in that division, and the tackling is nowhere near as disciplined as intl level.

Forget the magnitude of the game and the importance of the player. This should never come into it and wouldn't enter my thinking.

If that's a red card offence, then rugby is about to change beyond recognition, as there'll be red cards in every game.

[AZOffaly]

It was illegal, he turned him in the air and dropped him on his head ffs. Wreckless irresponsibility and stupidity. The ref had no choice.

I'm not going to read all the comments about this because the second one in is the one I agree with, and I have to get ready for a championship match

I thought Brent Pope and Frankie Sheehan (especially Brent) were missing the point about Paddy O'Brien's memo where he instructed referees to issue red cards for that. Brent is talking about red cards for cutting someone in the lineout, or taking out a fullback under a dropping ball. Both of those would be at least yellow cards anyway, but the difference about the tackle is that the tackler LIFTS as well as drops. The entire situation is controlled by the tackler. In those other situations at least the jumper knows he is going into the air and is not completely off guard.

[deiseach]

If that's a red card offence, then rugby is about to change beyond recognition, as there'll be red cards in every game.

Really? You think there are tackles that dangerous in every rugby match?