England 19 Wales 17
Owen Farrell was shown a red card during England’s Rugby World Cup warm-up win over Wales.
The English fly half was initially shown a yellow card by Geaorgian referee Nika Amashukeli but, upon review, that yellow was upgraded to red.
Farrell had taken Welsh sub Taine Bahsam out of it with a shoulder tackle into the jaw. It was upgraded to a red due to its high degree of danger as well as the lack of mitigation.
The Saracens player will now be in line for a ban which, should it stretch to three games, would keep him out of England’s first pool game in the Rugby World Cup against Argentina.
Owen Farrell Yellow Card 🟨
‘Bunker’ review system back into play.#ENGvWAL pic.twitter.com/UgTC6XOgcS
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) August 12, 2023
The game may have been classed as a warm-up game but neither team were holding back at Twickenham.
Indeed, the Georgian referee was one of the busiest people at the ground, having issued five yellow cards, to Genge, Steward and Arundell for England while Beard and Refell spent 10 minutes in the bin for Wales.
Steve Borthwick’s side had looked in trouble when Farrell was sent off, but Maro Itoje stepped up almost instantly with the try that completely changed the game.
Speaking after the game, England scrummager Courtney Lawes conceded that the team ‘lost the head.’
“Yeah, there’s no other way of saying it,” said the 34-year-old.
“We can’t let that kind of stuff happen. Other days we won’t get away with it,” he said.
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