It’s not a disaster. The Owen Farrell red card might even be a good thing. It would be an embarrassment to the sport were he not to receive a minimum three-game ban. That takes him out of England’s two remaining warm-up games and their opening World Cup match against Argentina.
After the match, the ever politic Warren Gatland said: “Given his previous, I’m not sure what’s going to happen.” The “previous” was an identical shoulder hit, in January this year, away to Gloucester. England manipulated his ban and, lo, he was available for the Six Nations. The rugby authorities took much criticism for their leniency. This time there’s no repeat tackle school to help him either. It looks bleak for the England captain who cannot,
© Times Media Limited 2023.
Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.