There’s giving someone the benefit of the doubt and then there’s this…
Ian McGeechan, most recently Lions head coach in 1997 and 2009, has written a column for the Daily Telegraph outlining his defence for the shamed Dylan Hartley.
As you have probably heard, Hartley was issued a red card in Northampton Saints 37-10 defeat to Leinster for striking Sean O’Brien in the head with a swinging right arm.
We believe this to be a monumental moment in the decision for Lions captain, one which has swung the momentum in Rory Best’s favour.
"There is a lot to admire about Rory Best" https://t.co/IZBoLNppM3
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 11, 2016
However, McGeechan suggests people shouldn’t over-react and that Hartley could still be made Lions captain.
“This was not a punch, or an eye-gouge, or swearing at the referee. It was not a case of the ‘red mist’ descending as it used to for Hartley. It was a poorly-timed tackle for which he must take responsibility,” says McGeechan.Â
We’re baffled to hear the respected ‘Geech’ refer to Hartley’s challenge as a ‘poorly-timed tackle’. Everyone has had their say on this hit and the Scot is the first to describe it as anything but intentional. Perhaps McGeechan needs to look at this again because we are not aware of many tackles which are attempted to be completed using just one, wildly swinging arm.
WATCH: England Captain Dylan Hartley receives RED CARD v Leinster for swinging arm on flanker Sean O’Brien @ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/Pej8RMgUa1
— Sky Sports Rugby ? (@SkySportsRugby) December 9, 2016
McGeechan also states that this wasn’t ‘red mist’.
Again, we struggle to believe this.
Hartley was only on the pitch for six minutes. We can see in the footage that this was a sudden and intentional act. In fact Hartley is in a good position to compete for the ball once the ruck is formed, after the initial tackle is completed.
Yet Hartley decides against potentially winning his team a vital turnover, instead seeking to intentionally hurt an opposition player.
McGeechan then goes on to state that Hartley should still be in contention for the Lions captaincy.
“Is he still in contention for Lions’ captaincy? In my book, yes.”Â
The former Lions head coach argues that if Hartley can keep his discipline without losing his competitive edge between now and the end of the season, then he will be within a shout for captaincy.
He even admits that New Zealand would target Hartley in order to provoke a reaction but that Hartley could use this as motivation to be on his best behaviour.
Not exactly the criteria for choosing a Lions captain, we would think.
“Would New Zealand try to exploit it (Hartley’s discipline)? Of course, but when you know that, it becomes a positive motivation in its own way.”
Regardless of whether Hartley may potentially rise to the occasion of captaincy, the fact remains, making him captain is just too big of a risk.
In a series where New Zealand will target the Lions, like they did to Ireland in November, we cannot have a man leading the team who will more likely than not, react to the Kiwi’s provocation.
It will be difficult enough beating the Kiwi’s on their own patch, let alone with 14 men.
