Owen Farrell WILL miss the start of England’s World Cup season as he is suspended for FOUR games after appealing the controversial decision to have his red card reversed
- World Rugby has appealed the decision to overturn Owen Farrell’s red card
- It came after the shock decision not to withdraw his red card against Wales
- England will open their World Cup campaign against Argentina on September 9
OWEN FARRELL will miss the start of England’s World Cup season after being belatedly suspended earlier this month for his high tackle on Wales backrower Taine Basham.
The national captain appeared at an appeals hearing, via video link, before an independent judicial panel consisting of chairman Nigel Hampton KC (New Zealand), along with Shao-ing Wang of Singapore and Donal Courtney of Ireland. Farrell’s hearing started at 7.30am and some twelve hours later there was an announcement from the Six Nations – which oversees the trial in the case – that the 31-year-old has been suspended for four games, after initially receiving a sanction had avoided.
The panel reached a guilty verdict and chose to impose the ‘intermediate’ suspension, with a two-week abbreviation for acceptance of foul play, contrition and good character. It was agreed that the ban would also include the warm-up game against Ireland in Dublin last weekend. England coach Steve Borthwick did not choose him for the confrontation with the world number 1, but emphasized that he would have been involved without the disrupted build-up.
Owen Farrell was sent off for a high tackle on Taine Basham during England’s win over Wales
A disciplinary panel withdrew the red card, in a verdict that sent shockwaves through the sport
Basham failed a head injury assessment, although the Welsh doctors subsequently found no symptoms of a concussion
It means Farrell is unavailable for the final warm-up against Fiji on Saturday, the World Cup opener against Argentina in Marseille on September 9 and Japan in Nice on September 17. Now Borthwick will have to decide if he still intends to bring his main playmaker to France as planned. He will certainly choose to do so, as his considerable influence both off and on the pitch is great. But George Ford will now enter the tournament as England’s likely starter in tenth place.
There was global uproar last week when Farrell was spared punishment in an initial disciplinary hearing after his shoulder struck Basham’s head during England’s encounter with Wales at Twickenham on August 12. The all-Australian panel believed Jamie George’s contact had changed Basham’s attitude. a fraction of a second before the collision with Farrell on the line, and that mitigating factor meant that the matchday decision to upgrade his yellow card to red was revoked.
Billy Vunipola (left) faces the possibility of being suspended for the start of England’s Rugby World Cup campaign after being shown a red card for a high tackle on Andrew Porter
The Saracens fly-half has been in trouble for his tackling technique before, being cleared of a ban over a similar incident earlier this year.
Farrell (centre-left) also collided with Wales 10 Dan Biggar (centre-right) after the incident
England will begin their Rugby World Cup campaign against Argentina on September 9
Big questions remain about how Steve Borthwick’s side will fare at the 2023 World Cup after their poor form of late and disciplinary issues
However, amid a storm of international protest, World Rugby exercised their right to appeal the verdict. The governing body was believed to be pessimistic about the chances of the ruling being overturned, due to the high threshold of evidence required that the original trial was flawed. But they felt it was essential to appeal regardless, at a time when there should be an obligation to minimize head contact and trauma in sport.
Orthwick was hurt by the prospect of further disruption this week – and was also outraged by what he said were “personal attacks” on Farrell, rather than just criticism of a hopelessly flawed disciplinary system.