“I said on commentary, at the time, I thought it was a yellow… “
With contact to the head in rugby, the slow motion replays do the tackling player zero favours. In real-time, it looked as though Craig Gilroy could be in trouble. Tom Rogers was in even worse shape.
Ulster defeated Scarlets 27-15 at Kingspan Stasdium, on Friday evening, to keep up their pursuit on top spot in the United Rugby Championship. Scarlets fans were left cursing referee Jaco Peyper, though, after a couple of big decisions went against them.
On two occasions, the Welsh side thought they had scored tries, only for Peyper and the Television Match Official to disagree. Dwayne Peel’s side gave Ulster a good rattle, but they felt they should have been facing 14 men for all of the second half.
Rogers was tackled by Billy Burns as Scarlets attacked, down the left wing, and as he slipped, the set Gilroy connected flush on his head with a firm shoulder. It was almost as if the Ulster winger was bracing for Rogers to crash into him, after getting his pass away, and put out the stock shoulder.
Former Wales and Lions star Tom Shanklin was on co-commentary duty and, after initially agreeing with Peyper, changed his mind during half-time analysis. He criticised Gilroy’s tackle technique and said there was no attempt to wrap.
Should Craig Gilroy have been sent off for his challenge on Tom Rogers? 🟥@TomShanklin: "It was a horrific collision." 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/ZJDZypnbU6
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) January 28, 2022
Craig Gilroy returns to punish Scarlets
Gilroy was sent to the sin-bin but returned to play a key role in what ended as a bonus-point win for Ulster. Late in the second half, Burns made a great carry down the left wing. The outhalf was tackled, but not before getting the ball offloaded.
Thinking quickly, scrumhalf Neil Doak kicked the bouncing ball into the in-goal area and Gilroy pounced to get his side’s fourth try. There looked to be a forward pass in the build-up to the score, but Ulster fans were happy out.
The lack of a red card was bad enough for some Welsh fans, but the coup-de-grace being delivered by the fortunate Gilroy was enough to push some supporters over the edge:
https://twitter.com/stuart73g/status/1487188798064795651
Spot on @TomShanklin. Hard to see how you can not give red here if it’s reviewed.
— Richard Evans 🏴 (@rdwe1) January 28, 2022
Having rewatched that Craig Gilroy tackle, I do feel that he was extremely lucky to have only gotten a yellow. Gilroy makes no attempt to wrap, I know Rogers was on his knee but still that was a huge impact to the head and has since failed HIA. Red card for me. #ULSvSCA #URC
— CatherineL (@CatherineL2288) January 28, 2022
🟥 If the players safety laws are to be upheld.
— Stephen Mills (@millsno9) January 28, 2022
Rogers went off for a Head Injury Assessment and did not return to the field.
It will be interesting to see if Gilroy gets cited for the incident as all those slow motion replays would do him little favours in a disciplinary hearing. In his defence, though, Shanklin’s take on the situation – instant and after consideration – show how tough the referee’s job is, at present.
