Ireland v England Grand Slam Decider 2023

Fantastic day and win. Was my third time seeing us win the lot in person, I can’t imagine there are too many that have seen all four! Look the red card was harsh, I think we would have found a way to win anyway, but this made it easier. If roles were reversed, I can imagine the reaction would be a little different. It was unfortunate for Hugo, one of our players of tournament, but this was a rugby collision in my view, perhaps a yellow, but never a red. The incident later in game warranted a red more in my view.

Discipline absolutely is a skill.

In the 2021 6 Nations, Ireland picked up 2 red cards for the first time. Since then their discipline has been brilliant.

In 21 Tests since, we’ve had 2 yellow cards.

I make it that our opponents have had 16 yellows and 7 reds.

That’s too stark a difference to put down to clumsiness and fatigue.

Here’s Rob Kearney’s take on it. I’d be pretty close to this tbh

Nonsense, there is a player running at him at pace, he doesn’t open up his arms and embrace the tackle, he would have got smashed and hurt himself potentially. Stewart’s reaction is a defensive brace position waiting for someone to hit him. Just think about your body would move if something was approaching you at pace, you’d turn sideways and brace yourself. It was an unfortunate incident, but never a red card.

One thing yesterday and particularly after the red card I thought Ireland were trying to force the game too much. When we possibly needed just to play rugby and string phases together and stretch and already panting England, we were trying to play through tight spaces in the middle. Actually we rarely played the ball through the hands into the wide channels. I know England's rush defence had a say in that but we never stood off a little or chipped over the rush.

On the red card, the oncoming train of litigation along with the appalling images from so many games of players concussed may finish rugby as a sport. The huge driver despite the image of pushy Daddy's is often pushy mammy's ferrying kids here there and everywhere to further their prospects in sport. When kids are 6,7,8 10 their playing loads of sports and the ones who'll make it in one sport could quite likely make it in several others. If rugby cannot sort the issues that lead to concussions it may not continue as a sport.

There is absolutely no industry or company that would allow it's employees face such danger on a regular basis. Any such industry or profession would be shut down immediately.

What if one of the current Irish Team in ten years time can't remember winning the grand slam. Little consolation being at a 25 year anniversary weekend if you can't remember any of it. Offhand have 3? Irish players had concussions over the last 7-8 weeks?

Rugby has to do whatever it takes to sort this issue. The incredible conditioning of the players and the immense physicality of modern rugby has turned rugby into an incredibly physical contest.

Not sure anyone claiming he wanted to inflict injury and that there was malice. As per game rules it was a red. End of. Players shouldn’t be allowed away with these incidents based off their poor judgment calls. How on earth would the game be officiated with this attitude?’

You don’t tackle them unless they have the ball. Keenan collected the ball a fraction of a second before contact.

Basically every rugby players natural reaction is to turn and potentially brace for impact when a player is running at them without the ball. It happenes every time in a kick and chase situation for example. Keenan gaining possession of the ball a split second before the collision has made the situation. Its rugby though, sometimes you just can't account for the bounce of a ball.

Under the laws it probably is a red card, but the laws are flawed. World rugby need to take a long hard think about where they want the game to go and what are they trying to achieve. Its a contact sport, people will get head injuries. It happens in almost everyone other sport.

Again, I've not seen anyone outside of Irish people who think yesterday's decision being s red is good for the sport and the position that should be place long term.

I'd say you are an astounded man today!

Forget the red card ,harsh or not Are we winning the world cup?

Honestly lads, the takes here are wild this morning.

Well, we agree on something. Gonna leave it there.

It really doesn’t. And if it had been Steward running into Keenan’s elbow you’d have a different view. Unfortunate collision. Penalty and a yellow (which if it was for Keenan I’d still argue over but grudgingly accept) would have been a fairer call.

The "he only had a split second to react" arguement is such bull. When Hansen first knocks the ball forward trying to offload, Steward is atleast ten if not fifteen metres back.

He then proceeds to charge in at speed, turn the shoulder, and clatter Keenan. Peyper highlighted it as such when he says "clear line of sight throughout"

It's so unnecessary and completely reckless. If Steward just tried to make a normal tackle (which he is allowed to do if Keenan is attempting to gain control of the ball - and is therefore in possession per the rules), or just checks his feet even a little bit, this is avoided entirely. He has enough time to react - again, Peyper highlights this "Well, you had enough time to turn your shoulder...".

If Steward had stayed committed and emptied Keenan with a legal tackle would we have been calling for a penalty and possibly more for a late tackle as the whistle had gone and the ball had obviously been knocked forward?