Skinstad and Ferris lambast Treadwell yellow card

Former international representatives Stephen Ferris (Ireland) and Bobby Skinstad (South Africa) have both expressed outrage at an officiating decision which took place during the Bulls vs Ulster clash in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon. 

In the 66th minute, Ulster lock Kieran Treadwell was shown a yellow card for a supposed high tackle, but the challenge seemed fairly innocuous in the eyes of Ferris and Skinstad. 

“It’s an absolute joke. It’s a complete joke… you cannot freeze frame it,” Ferris said on Premier Sports. 

“Kieran Treadwell hits the ball with his shoulder. When he hits the ball with the shoulder, there is a little bit of head movement. You can clearly see, it’s on the ball. 

“If anything, his face brushes the jersey. There is no direct impact to the head, none whatsoever. 

“You can freeze frame all you want, but play it in real time. For me, that isn’t even a penalty. 

“Yes, a couple of inches higher it is a really dangerous tackle, and that’s what we are trying to get away from. 

“But Bobby, if this is going to be yellow cards going forward…. and you know what, what happens two minutes afterward? Maul try, and for me that was the game.” 

Skinstad had the following to say: 

“Look, player welfare is paramount, we know that. If you think Stephen was getting excited about why it shouldn’t be a card, I was even worse,” he said. 

“For me, that’s a job’s worth role. I know Marius Jonker, he was a good referee, he’s got absolutely no place getting involved there. 

“That is ’cause and effect’, that’s rugby, he’s made a tackle. Ulster actually had a penalty way up the field, he’s gone all the way back and actually ruined the last twenty minutes of a spectacle. 

“I don’t think that was a very smart nor technically proficient piece of adjudicating. 

“I’m sad, the game was coming into its own. It was exciting, Ulster had just scored, the Bulls were an attacking position. We spoke about it being a one score game, which is what it was going to be. 

“I’m not happy there. You can hide behind ‘protecting the head’ and say let’s stop for every little tiny brush of an elbow going past some guy’s neck area by mistake. 

“Literally you could be playing touch rugby and hit someone with your elbow. I don’t think we should call back for that kind of thing ever again. It’s ridiculous.”