Croft's foot, Dowson's face

Can you just imagine what would have happened if Croft's foot had come down on a Frenchman's face? And just imagine the reaction of the crowd when it was replayed on the big screen. There's always very little sympathy for a foot going into someone's face....he would definitely have been be cited. These boards would be buzzing with the debate on whether it was intended/not intended, clumsy or mailcious. In the strange mood that the referee was in, who knows what would have happened? Just a thought.

Could he be cited still? Dangerous play is dangerous play after all.

Being serious accidents happen, and even if it had happened to a frenchman, unless Rowland saw it at the time, the crowd reaction would have meant nothing. He is not at the top of his game as a ref right now, and he may lean a bit too much on the linesmen to ref the game for him, but he still doesn't listen to the crowd when making his decision.

Oh for the days of proper rucking

It was completely accidental, if it was to be cited it would be the biggest farce yet. Even if it was a Frenchman on the floor instead.

I know it was accidental, it was his own player.....but it would have looked very different if it had been a French player...still an accident, but as I said, there's zero tolerence for feet going into faces.

I have to say it looked deliberate! I can't believe it would be but thats how it looked on replay.

TJ wrote:I have to say it looked deliberate! I can't believe it would be but thats how it looked on replay.

I guess that shows replays can be misleading.

TJ wrote:I have to say it looked deliberate! I can't believe it would be but thats how it looked on replay.

I agree but it was obviously accidental so it just goes to show how difficult it can be to judge such things on a replay away from the heat of action.

I think Croft and Wood are best mates

Quite which does bring us back to the fair point on what the initial question was.

Had that been an opposition player would the lynch mob be out? Oh hell yes they would.

TJ wrote:I have to say it looked deliberate! I can't believe it would be but thats how it looked on replay.

What planet are you on... Are you just looking for something to say or is this the most pathetic WUM ever.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and say, youd better get your TV checked. As there is no way that looked deliberate. He was trying to step away, but was held and hence his foot went down a little short and caught the face.

Not deliberate, a playing accident. Nasty one agreed, but nothing more than an accident, as was the boot/leg to the head which sparked him out in the first place.

If anything is done (citing or whatever) for this, then I'll be both amazed and disapointed.

They would but they would be wrong in my opinion

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Quite which does bring us back to the fair point on what the initial question was.

Had that been an opposition player would the lynch mob be out? Oh hell yes they would.

If and buts....

IMO, it may have been cited, as some over jealous official may want to see his name in print. But on reflection it would be thrown out, as a playing accident.

I'm sure someone would post a single image of a boot connecting and with some creative thinking show that Croft did it deliberately. Possibly using the reconstruction software from 'Enemy of the State' to show Croft's expression of hate from the other angle.

MajorRoadWorks wrote:

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Quite which does bring us back to the fair point on what the initial question was.

Had that been an opposition player would the lynch mob be out? Oh hell yes they would.

If and buts....

IMO, it may have been cited, as some over jealous official may want to see his name in print. But on reflection it would be thrown out, as a playing accident.

I doubt it even wouldve gotten that far but thats not really the point, the issue is the hang em and flog and look for every reasoin to hate the oopposition that comes out in these Holly Wilaboobie for tat he shouldve been cited wars.
The Ferris/Davies tackle debates are a great example of that attitude from people.

Yeah it could have been intentional in a similar vein to the legal argument that Bradley Davies thought that Donnacha Ryan had a sweet lodged in his throat and thought that by turning him upside down it might dislodge it and save any serious injury

HammerofThunor wrote:

TJ wrote:I have to say it looked deliberate! I can't believe it would be but thats how it looked on replay.

I guess that shows replays can be misleading.

Yes - thats my point

RubyGuby wrote:Yeah it could have been intentional in a similar vein to the legal argument that Bradley Davies thought that Donnacha Ryan had a sweet lodged in his throat and thought that by turning him upside down it might dislodge it and save any serious injury

Yeah, like Bakkies' in-game contact lense replacement service

You could argue the dangerous play came from the french player who caught Dowson in the head with his knees ,knocking him out and thus making him unable to roll away from crofts feet.......

freeman lowell wrote:You could argue the dangerous play came from the french player who caught Dowson in the head with his knees ,knocking him out and thus making him unable to roll away from crofts feet.......

You could also argue that Dowson is one heck of an unlucky lad (or lucky considering he didn't come off too badly in the end!).

Apparently (according to Ben Youngs on twitter) Dowson was told he'd scored the winning by try Tom Croft and Ben Youngs. Cruel but very funny!

Personally I don't think it looked deliberate at all (which is no great coincidence, as it clearly wasn't deliberate), and I also agree that had this been done to an opposition player any over-zealous citing would ultimately have gone nowhere.

But it does show how misleading a replay can be. These things happen very, very quickly and always look a million times worse when slowed down.

But I'm sure any citing officer worth his salt is aware of the occassionally distorting effect of technology

Carpe Diem wrote:Apparently (according to Ben Youngs on twitter) Dowson was told he'd scored the winning by try Tom Croft and Ben Youngs. Cruel but very funny!

This is what Dowson looked like after the game

https://twitter.com/#!/benyoungs09/status/178980728762155009/photo/1