Kawazaki wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:42 am
There's no post-rationalisation from me, my position is the same as it was when I first saw it and called it.
So you believe it to be a legal tackle. That's the most recent stance I can see you making on it, and you say your position is the same.
Fine. You're wrong. World rugby says you're wrong. The ref says you're wrong. The laws and framework say your wrong.
Now they say it's a yellow, rather than red, hence no ban, but that doesn't make it a legal tackle.
Maybe this will help:
https://www.world.rugby/the-game/laws/guidelines/13
Specifically this bit:
Mitigating factors
(must be clear and obvious and can only be applied to reduce a sanction by 1 level)
Tackler makes a definite attempt to change height in an effort to avoid ball carrier’s head
BC suddenly drops in height (e.g. From earlier tackle, trips/falls, dives to score)
Tackler is unsighted prior to contact
“Reactionary” tackle, immediate release
Head contact is indirect (starts elsewhere on the body and then slips or moves up resulting in minor contact to the BC’s head or neck)
Now a couple of points in my mind, it's not clear and obvious, and also, it was still far from minor contact with his head in my mind.
Regardless, there's the laws themselves, in conjunction with World Rugby, clearly stating it was an act of foul play.