Wardi’s tackle, Latu’s yellow card, Boudehent: a referee deciphers La Rochelle

See my news
Follow Rugby News

Having given rise to several contentious decisionsthe match of the 14^e day of Top 14 between La Rochelle et Toulouse has caused a lot of talk on social networks. Reda Wardi’s shoulder tackle, Tolu Latu’s yellow card, Paul Boudehent’s try: a high-level referee analyzes and deciphers the controversies pour At the time of Rugby.

Decryption of La Rochelle – Toulouse with a referee

The exercise is not easy but it seems necessary, even more so after a close match like the one between Stade Rochelais and Stade Toulousain during the 14^e Top 14 day.

So let’s do a little pedagogy with our minds at rest. Contacted by At the time of Rugbya top referee agreed to give his analysis of three tricky decisions made by Mr. Ramos and his assistants during the match.

The tackle of Reda Wardi

The first controversy arose at the 18^e minute when, bringing up a ball from the back of the field, Valentin Delpy was picked up by a shoulder tackle from Reda Wardi, which immediately triggered the anger of the Toulouse bench. Mr. Ramos let the action unfold before penalizing La Rochelle a few minutes later for another foul.

“For me it’s a burden on the shoulder, Reda Wardi is relatively low but he should have been sanctioned with a simple penalty“, explains our referee.

Which would have been consistent with rule 9.16, a player must not charge or bring down an opponent carrying the ball without attempting to grab that player with his arms, the recommended sanction of which is effectively a penalty.

Why was the La Rochelle pillar not penalized, and could he have received a yellow card? Our referee continues: “We hear Luc Ramos in his commentary. Toulouse has a penalty 3 or 4 game times later and finally when it comes back to the images, he considers that it is a charge on the shoulder but that the player is low, so it was a simple penalty. As there is a better positioned penalty for Toulouse, 30 or 40 meters further, he does not go back to “clean up” the situation, as if he had somehow left the advantage. »

“Indeed, it’s quite spectacular, it’s the shoulder which is engaged first, the arm doesn’t really work but the impact is not high. A simple penalty, I think it was okay,” concludes our technician.

Paul Boudehent’s essay

Stade Rochelais thought they had finally resolved the situation at the 50^e minute of play, Paul Boudehent dove in the corner after having managed to shake off tackles from Nelson Épée and Paul Costes.

Unfortunately for the flanker and his team, the try was invalidated on video: according to the officials of the evening, he had been brought to the ground by a completed tackle, that is to say that he was held at the time of touch the ground. He therefore had to release the ball before getting up, which he did not do.

“Live, I immediately told myself that the try was going to be refused,” explains our referee in agreement with Luc Ramos’ decision.

“Technically, it’s still cleaner if he lets the ball go. He doesn’t even have any questions to ask and it’s clear to everyone. There, it doesn’t shock me that the test was refused, Paul Boudehent had to release the ball“, he says.

The clearance and the yellow card of Tolu Latu

You have to wait until 51^e minute of play, in the wake of the attempt refused in La Rochelle, to see undoubtedly the most contentious decision of the evening arrive. On the sidelines, Simon Daroque was violently cleared by La Rochelle hooker Tolu Latu who came to the side of a ruck.

The Australian hit the young Toulouse man both in the shoulder and above the knee, the latter being forced out with an injury, presumably to the shoulder, following the incident.

“A player may clear the scratcher out of the ruck but must not drop his weight on that player or target that player’s lower limbs,” Rule 9.20.d states. For some time now, clearances directly targeting the joints of the lower limbs have been punished with a red card. In this case, Tolu Latu received a yellow.

“This is the case most subject to debate, especially since when there is an injury, people react emotionally,” breathes our referee before entering into the decryption.

“It’s true that the first image is not very beautiful, because we can actually see that Latu is working on the lower limb. Afterwards, there is a second image where we see that he attacks on the shoulder and that it slides on the lower limb,” he believes.

“Luc Ramos’ argument is to say that all the strength is not in the lower limb. And ultimately, he bases himself on that. And it’s true that what’s more, it’s unfortunate, but the Toulouse man comes out injured, not in the lower limb, but in the shoulder or arm, which would seem to indicate that there was contact which took place. do there,” he continues.

“I’m a little embarrassed in this type of case because there are two camera angles which show either contact on the lower limb or contact on the shoulder. I think the two decisions can be agreed. Afterwards, it is actually what camera angle we rely on. But yes, yellow card as red, I think both are defensible“admits our referee.

In the end, the three most delicate decisions made by Luc Ramos are therefore arguable cold.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.