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Thu 14 Jul 2016 | 03:34
#ThrowbackThursday: Will Skelton's dangerous aerial challenge on Anthony Watson

6
Comments

Australian second-row Will Skelton was lucky to avoid a yellow card in the third Test match against England last month following a huge aerial collision with Anthony Watson.

Skelton was challenging for the ball following a George Ford restart and recklessly took Watson out, causing the English winger to land on his back.

Referee Nigel Owens penalised the 6ft 6" Skelton due to the fact that the lock forward had made a genuine attempt to secure the ball, and in fact had got a hand on the ball.

Australia were leading at the time 15-10 but such was the nature of the game and the scoring, the penalty conceded was certainly a costly one.

It was one of a number of midair collisions that have caused some controversy of late.

Did referee Owens get it right or should Skelton have seen yellow?

credit: rugbyxv

Posted By: Stephen Brunsdon

6 Comments

  • dancarter
    10:31 AM 18/07/2016

    I don't think a ref can (or should) use a player's position and skill set as a factor in his decisions. I think just a penalty is about right here.

  • drg
    2:10 AM 18/07/2016

    Just because you've never seen it doesn't mean that it couldn't have happened, and hasn't happened in the past...

    No yellow.

  • 45678
    10:50 PM 17/07/2016

    I have never seen a second row catch a kick off with one hand whilst not looking at the ball. If folau did it......maybe, but not Skelton.

    Should have been a yellow

  • drg
    3:08 PM 17/07/2016

    I think with the way the game is going then I'd agree it's a fair decision and in fact was a sensible decision.. However the commentators (I'm not sure who this actually is commenting) are invariably ex players so his comment is 100% from the era of the great game.

    I know it's easy to sit here as someone who has avoided any serious injuries to comment on how sanitising the game is awful, but by it's very nature it's an inherently dangerous past time... so it seems like an impossible task to try and make it a safe yet enjoyable/sensible game...

  • joeythelemur
    3:53 PM 16/07/2016

    Fair decision. I love the comment at the very end though. "So is that a penalty for trying to catch the ball?"

  • drg
    11:54 PM 14/07/2016

    Of course he has made a few suspect calls in his career (very few), but this is one of the reasons he's one of the greatest referees in my opinion. He looks at an incident, looks at the surroundings of the incident, looks at how it all plays out, considers the law and then makes a fair decision based on the findings...

    I don't ever think I've seen Owens show a card that wasn't in some way shape or form, deserved.

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