Peato Mauvaka’s headbutt on Ben White sparked huge debate among pundits and fans after the France hooker was shown a yellow card in the first half of the Six Nations showdown with Scotland.
The moment of indiscipline led to Finn Russell kicking three points for Scotland in a tight first half in Paris.
What happened?
Both teams were pushing to try to get their hands on the ball after a penalty was awarded to France at the breakdown close to their try-line.
In the ensuing scrap, White was pushed over by Thomas Ramos, with the Scotland scrum-half falling over Mauvaka’s legs. The two then appeared to exchange words, with White gesturing to Mauvaka to let go of his ankles.
As White then attempted to get up, Mauvaka lunged towards him, knocking the scrum-half to the ground and making head-on-head contact.
What was the decision?
After assessing replays of the incident, Mauvaka was shown a yellow card by referee Matthew Carley with the incident referred to the bunker to see if it would be upgraded.
The feedback from the bunker was that the decision should remain as a yellow card, because there was not deemed to be a high degree of danger.
What has the reaction been?
Benjamin Kayser, commentating for ITV, suggested that White had overreacted to the contact from Mauvaka. Jim Hamilton, ITV’s sideline pundit, disagreed, later referring to the incident as “the red card that never was, but should have been”. Hamilton said earlier: “Mauvaka’s yellow is 100 per cent going to get upgraded to a red card. It’s something violent and physical and I doubt we will see him back on the field.”
Scott Hastings, commentating for ITV, believed a yellow card was the right call. “That is the right decision. Mauvaka had an opportunity to stop, but he has thrown himself into Ben White. It’s a yellow card. On a rugby field, you can’t do that.”
Former Scotland prop Peter Wright said that Mauvaka should have been off for the rest of the game. “That’s a headbutt. That’s foul play, he’s lunged at him. That for me, is foul play – red card. It’s not in a tackle. The whistle has been blown. He should be off for the rest of the game. It’s out and out foul play.”
Fraser Brown, the former Scotland hooker, also believed it warranted a straight red card. “Ben White is laying on the floor and Peato Mauvaka dives at him. It’s a flying headbutt straight to the face,” Brown said. “That’s a straight red card. The whistle has gone. It’s direct head contact – I cannot agree with this process.”
Verdict: Straight red card should have been shown
Given that Mauvaka was retaliating, and the way he launched himself towards White, his actions certainly looked deliberate. It was a rush of blood which Mauvaka must have instantly wanted to take back.
Can you have a degree of danger for a flying headbutt which is not high? The lack of a red card was a surprise. It still exists for moments like this.
