Top 14 – Decisions that are not a hit, a look back at Tual Trainini’s explanations during La Rochelle – Bordeaux-Bègles

“It is necessary to make a video call on this, for the safety of the players. […] It’s not legal (the tackle), it doesn’t matter, I trust you. Don’t talk to us about player safety again.” This sentence from Grégory Alldritt found an echo during the next meeting at Stade Rochelaisthis Sunday, against UBB (32-22). The three cards distributed by Tual Trainini after calling for the video caused debate. And the only one red, the one scooped by Yoram Moefanais not the one that caused the most reaction. While Jonathan Danty tried to overwhelm at the end of the line, the UBB center tackled him high, causing head-to-head contact. “It is an act of unfair play. There is a high degree of dangerousness because the contact is to the head. I do not see any mitigating circumstances. There is neither a clear desire to encircle nor a drop significant damage from the ball carrier, so it’s a red card.”analyzed the referee of the match in his discussion with his video assistant. After reviewing the images, Yoram Moefana has time to bend down, he is not surprised by a sudden change of direction from Jonathan Danty.

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Top 14 – “A real hit…”: the opinion of Midol de La Rochelle – Bordeaux-Bègles

Cancoriet, victim and culprit in the same action

But the action that really sparked controversy was in the 11th minute. On a charge, Jonny Gray is tackled by Grégory Alldritt. Judicaël Cancoriet came to scratch a ball but attacked the ground directly. Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, arriving a little late, cleared by putting his shoulder directly into the head of the third international row, necessarily low due to his scraping position. “I don’t see a desire to surround from the white player. We have contact in the head. It is an act of unfair play because there is no desire to encircle. For me, the degree of danger is not high because the player is close to the action. For me there is contact to the head, foul play, but not a high degree of danger. So I’m on penalty and yellow card”here is how Tual Trainini justified his decision.

But when the referee detailed his interpretation of this warning to the captains, Mahamadou Diaby challenged him on a high tackle from the same Judicaël Cancoriet on Connor Sa, also during this action. “On the front tackle, we don’t have clear images of contact to the head”replied the man with the whistle. But, alerted a few seconds later by his video assistant, he finally decided to return in front of the giant screen to watch the slow motion. “We have clear contact at the head of the black number six on the white two. It is an act of unfair play because the Rochelais is upright. I see the degree of danger as low”estimated Tual Trainini. An opinion shared by his friend in the video: “Me neither, there’s no speed.” The summary judge found another mitigating circumstance for the former ASM member: “The head goes down towards the player, so that also lowers the degree of danger. So I’m going to give the black six a yellow card.”

Blin annoyed

This simple warning addressed to Judicaël Cancoriet caused debate. Connor Having had it thrown at him, the speed argument pointed out is indeed surprising. As pointed out by Tual Trainini, Judicaël Cancoriet was upright and he had plenty of time to bend down to tackle the Girondin hooker according to the rules of the art, even if the latter made the mistake of lowering his head a little when he did so. ‘impact. Isn’t this desire to push high the real problem, more than the color of the cardboard?

Sunday evening, many personalities of the oval ball spoke out to show their incomprehension about the differences in sanctions for these three contacts to the head. Mathieu Blin on Twitter, for example: “Nothing against Tual (Trainini) who is a great referee, nor against the two players, but clearing with the shoulder on the neck = red and shoulder thrown directly on the head without framing = red.” On Canal + Marc Lièvremont, Marie-Alice Yahé and even Eric Bayle went in his direction. With the expulsions lasting only 20 minutes, the debates on sanctions will be a hit…