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Sat 15 Oct 2016 | 11:46
Matt Toomua escapes red card decision after dumping Finn Russell

17
Comments

Leicester Tiger's new man Matt Toomua was fortunate to escape with just a yellow card when he picked up and dumped Glasgow Warriors' Finn Russell during last night's European Champions Cup clash at Scotstoun Stadium.

The former Wallaby got down low and picked up the Scotland international, tipping him past the horizontal and not bringing him down safely. Referee Mathieu Raynal and his TMO both agreed that due to the landing, a yellow card was sufficient.

While Toomua was no doubt simply attempting to be dominant in the tackle - and succeeded - the lifting motion and outcome of the movement made it a dangerous challene. If refereeing decisions in the last few years are anything to go by, this could easily have been a straight red card.

There was of course a reaction online, with opinions mixed and former Leicester Tiger's flyhalf Andy Goode being one of those in the camp that felt it was actually the correct decision.

The general feeling seemed to be that if Russell hadn't put his arm down to protect himself, the landing would have been a lot worse and Toomua would have been off for the rest of the game.

Regardless, Glasgow Warriors went on to completely dominate the Tigers, winning 42-13. It is the most points Leicester have ever conceded in a European Cup game.

It could get worse for them shortly too, as Toomua might find himself sidelined with a ban.

What was your reaction to the challenge?

View official highlights of the game below (not available in all regions)

Posted By: Grant Constable

17 Comments

  • weejockmcplop
    3:48 PM 01/11/2016

    Hard to see how this tackle is fine. Rule is clear; take a man off his feet, that's a penalty. Take them through the horizontal, then it's a yellow card. Player lands on their head, shoulder or upper torso, red, irrespective of whether the tackled player uses their arms to break their fall. The IRB revised the law in 2010 to allow for the fact that the tackled player may instinctively use their arms to break their fall. When the law was revised the recommendation was that a tip tackle or 'spear' tackle the sanction should start at red and work backwards from there. This was as clear a red card as you will ever see, not given...hence the Glasgow crowd were incensed and letting the ref know just exactly what they thought.

  • drg
    9:25 PM 18/10/2016

    *giggle*...

    You're right about the psychological impact.. I have found though that in the past if I was ever picked up and driven back, I used to make sure my foot caught them in the spuds as I was lifted and that they landed on my knees as we hit the ground (or I'd do my best to make that happen!)... But of course when it happens you then want to get that person back, your head leaves the game as you search for an opportunity to satisfy your own personal vendetta!

  • jimmy23
    4:41 PM 18/10/2016

    I think that's precisely it, the mental and physical impact. Anything you can try and do to get in the head of your opponents.

    Although I think a good, hard tackle to the ribs is just as effective in doing that as dump tackle. I speak as a deliverer and receiver haha.

  • colombes
    9:17 AM 18/10/2016

    Forgetting the dump tackle technique and its lack of safety,

    I always wondered why rugby union players continue to tackle like this. The efficiency of this tackle is near zero: The tackled player can pass the ball in the tackle, the tackler loses time to regain the ball, the tackler can be penalized... Apart the mental and physic impact, i guess we just continue to watch it for any artistic reason.

    Bring me back Jason White, please.

  • danknapp
    7:24 AM 18/10/2016

    Guexit...

  • drg
    7:41 PM 17/10/2016

    I'm still not convinced his elbow changed the landing by more than a whisker...

    Elbow on ground is almost instantly followed by his back/side hitting the ground, it's quick, even in slow mo! I'm not sure there was enough time to actually change his landing..

    Perhaps I'm wrong...

  • jimmy23
    2:31 PM 17/10/2016

    To me, the debate here is whether the outcome of the incident or what led up to it is what refs should be looking at. We've seen it time and time again with people being taken out in the air where the outcome was what influenced the decision and not the intent.

    Finn Russell landed on his back, therefore outcome wise, it's is a yellow.

    Intent wise, Toomua (no, not 'Tommie' autocorrect) clearly spear tackled the guy. Lifted him beyond the horizontal and drove him into the ground damn near vertically. Let's be honest, the only reason Russell didn't land on his head was because he used his arm to protect himself. If it's the intent we're concentrating on, red card all day and I think Toomua should be counting his lucky stars.

  • drg
    2:01 PM 17/10/2016

    Wasn't the cous cous guy was he? I kind of meant the general consensus, not, "in NZ we believe that killing someone on the field and using your studs to decapitate them is all part of the game" kind of comments......

  • rugbydump
    11:35 AM 17/10/2016

    FYI: We have disabled Guest commenting. All users will need to be logged in/registered to take part in discussions. We aim to make the community a bit tighter by doing this, and it also means a little less moderating will be required. Thanks

  • stroudos
    10:39 AM 17/10/2016

    1:33 "Dummy this then!"

    1:45 Poor form from the commentator, I think it's Ben Kay at this point. I mean, if you're commentating on rugby union, you ought to have a basic grasp of which form of the conditional tense to use. Felt like I was listening to Alan bloody Shearer / Pardew / Hansen for a moment there.

    Poor form from the crowd too. All that booing and barracking is highly irregular if you ask me. I'm sure there's a football stadium nearby they can use.

    The tackle is fine, not that I'd like to be on the receiving end myself. Russell did exactly the same as I've done every time I've been involved in a lifting tackle, and surely what anyone with a brain would do, which is to break his fall judo-style and use his own abdominal and core muscles to help prevent his head from dropping too far below his back. Well that's my opinion, based on an unwelcome truth that I have to acknowledge, which is that I appear to be one of the old gits to whom DrG was alluding above.

    Looking at it objectively in line with the IRB/World Rugby lifting tackle directive, the referee dealt with this incident exactly in accordance with the guidance. Therefore, the yellow card issued at the time was correct and sufficient, so no need for any further sanction.

  • stroudos
    9:58 AM 17/10/2016

    "If I get time (more time), I'll have a look back at some old videos Rd posted and try and retrieve some comments from users, compared to the general comments these days..."

    Just do a quick search for "PhillNZ" mate. ;)

  • drg
    1:29 PM 16/10/2016

    I wonder how many RD users are in their late 20's and up and how many are early 20's...

    We're either seeing older guys embracing the direction of the modern game, or young guys not knowing what the game was like 'back then'..

    If I get time (more time), I'll have a look back at some old videos Rd posted and try and retrieve some comments from users, compared to the general comments these days...

    Don't get me wrong, in the current game this wasn't a 'good tackle' in the extra safety aspect.... But it was far from one of the typical red versions....imo...

  • weejockmcplop
    12:00 PM 16/10/2016

    Rugby needs to get control of this situation. This tackle was reckless and dangerous and should have seen Toomua red carded.

    That the referee claimed Russel landed on his back is just bizarre and suggests that he should not have been in charge of the game as he was unwilling or unable to make the big calls. There are far too many 'big hits' going in on players that cross the line from hard tackling to dangerous, putting players at risk of serious injury. Nearly ten years after the disgraceful tip tackle on Brian O'Driscoll we are still seeing far too many of these types of tackles as team try to intimidate the opposition and take out playmakers and still the IRB are not coming down hard on players.

  • andinov
    11:23 AM 16/10/2016

    I support neither Leicester or Glasgow.

    How that is not an immediate red card is beyond me.

    Modern rugby is facing a variety of challenges ahead of itself and here in one incident we have two of them; the ongoing variability in the interpretation of the rules of the game, and issue of player safety.

    Crazy stuff

  • alasdairduncan3
    5:52 PM 15/10/2016

    The tackle was just as dangerous as any where the player lands on his head, it just happens that Russell managed to break his fall with his elbow.

    My common sense interpretation of the rules would make that a red, what do you think?

  • drg
    3:53 PM 15/10/2016

    What can we say.... he did land on his back, I personally don't think his elbow really changed his landing all that much...

    So dare I say it?... was this a dump tackle? In the age old fashion of the word? lifted up, dumped on his back or arse...

  • danknapp
    3:29 PM 15/10/2016

    The citing committee found that during the action of Toomua's tackle, his hands automatically reached for his mobile phone and he apologised on Twitter. Therefore technically, under Law 45a subsection 12, he will immediately receive a ban of -1 game.

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