Ulster winger Craig Gilroy was lucky to see a mere yellow card for his high shot on opposing winger Tom Rogers in Ulster's 27-15 win over Scarlets. Referee Jaco Peyper's decision has not aged well and has left more than a few fans scratching their heads concerning the laws of foul play.
It's one of the more sickening collisions you're likely to see, due in part to Rogers's body position when the hit was delivered. He can be seen falling to a knee to deliver a pass, before receiving a brutal shoulder to the face.
As a result, he was nearly folded in half, backward.
Somehow, Peyper chose to keep the red card tucked away, saying: "It is direct to the head, but there's a contribution from the player, so he drops in height. So, it goes from red down to yellow."
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Obviously, not everyone was pleased with that description.
"That is the tackle that I think everyone is trying to get away from,” said Tom Shanklin on Premier Sports.
"It’s a horrific collision, and it looks even worse in slow motion... I think Craig Gilroy doesn’t really attempt to tackle, the arm’s down by the side which it shouldn’t be. It’s lazy defence, he’s not looking where he’s hitting. I think he’s fortunate to get a yellow card. I think he’s quite lucky."
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