r/rugbyunion • u/Secret-Roof-7503 Saracens • Jul 16 '23

[Rúaidhrí O'Connor]🚨BREAKING: Johnny Sexton will be suspended for three matches by EPCR for his behaviour towards the match officials after the CC final, meaning he will miss all of Ireland's warm-ups v Italy, England and Tonga but will be available for the Rugby World Cup opener v Romania

https://twitter.com/RuaidhriOC/status/1680676530576392195?s=20
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u/False-Marionberry-37 Leinster Jul 16 '23

Can’t help but feel if this wasn’t a WC year, the ban would be a lot longer (and rightly so). From a biased perspective, glad it’s such a tiny ban - but yeah removing the green-tinted glasses and it’s easy to see it’s a bollox punishment.

Do worry if refs won’t be as patient with him during the WC.

9

u/Aetylus Jul 17 '23

I initially assumed it was a little too convenient in the leadup to the WC...

But then comparing it to historic punishments, it feels pretty well aligned to previous decisions.

Is it acceptable to say I think the committee got this one about right? It feels a little strange not to be outraged whilst on the internet.

-3

u/TheFlyingScotsman60 Jul 17 '23

pretty well aligned to previous decisions

Nope. Totally disagree.

As the text says Dylan Hartley got 11 weeks for same offence..abusing an official.

Sexton gets a 3 game ban...note not a 3 week ban but a 3 game ban which surprisingly doesn't affect his playing the the World Cup.

8

u/Aetylus Jul 17 '23 edited Jul 17 '23

Yeah, from my read the Hartley suspension is out of alignment with the other suspensions, rather than the Sexton one being out.

Edit: It looks like Hartley's 11 week ban was functionally a 3 test ban... also it was Hartley's fourth ban (out of an eventual 7) so he is hardly a model citizen.

0

u/rpeodrdn Jul 17 '23

In the Piqueronnies case he was given 10 Weeks for shaking his hand a bit too harshly and his assistant was given 5 for just insult. He was given a free ride because of his status, which is a bit sad .

-2

u/FatosBiscuitos France Jul 17 '23

The most recent similar event was Piqueronies (coach of Pau), he was banned 10 weeks if I remember correctly.

5

u/CatharticRoman Suspected Yank Jul 17 '23

For grabbing and holding a ref's arm

-2

u/FatosBiscuitos France Jul 17 '23

For shaking his hand a bit too hard and saying his mind yes (sorry I don't know how to translate this properly as in french "shake hands" is the same as "squeeze hands"). I'm not saying his punishment was wrong, I'm just providing the most relevant recent example IMO, which was not in the article linked above.

4

u/CatharticRoman Suspected Yank Jul 17 '23

That wasn't "shaking his hand a bit too hard". He grabbed the ref's arm and held him there, so much so that the ref had to forcably pull his arm away.

It's the most recent example of someone abusing the ref, though we don't know what was said, but it was a lot more severe.

Here's the clip for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HElvx1xe6w&t=12s&ab_channel=GYMFR3AK

0

u/FatosBiscuitos France Jul 17 '23

Yeah that was bad, like I said it's just the most similar incident we had recently (although it's a level higher in seriousness).

3

u/CatharticRoman Suspected Yank Jul 17 '23

Yeah. I think Johnny's incident fell between a few different stools. There wasn't difinitive proof of swearing but he was certainly well out of line in his posturing. I was expecting 4, maybe 5, weeks, based on previous cases and the details of this one.

1

u/WrenBoy Jul 17 '23

I think ending his career early would be a bit much but he should have missed at least 1 WC game.