Thursday, January 20, 2011
Ronan O'Gara yellow carded for scuffle with Pierre Mignoni

Munster had a nightmare of a day in Toulon on the weekend as they not only took a 32-16 hiding, but had to deal with a controversial call as kingpin flyhalf Ronan O'Gara was yellow carded for his part in a tussle with Pierre Mignoni.
Mignoni, who will be retiring at the end of this season, was fantastic on the day and the fighting spirit he showed typified the Toulon performance, knocking the much fancied Irish side out of the competition for the first time in many years.
The decision made following this incident wasn't as clear cut as the Munster loss though, as referee Dave Pearson took a hard-line approach to assistant ref Sean Davies' recommendation.
While O'Gara and fiery scrumhalf Mignoni were no doubt the instigators of the scuffle, if anything it was former Leinster man Felipe Contepomi and Munster captain Denis Leamy who accelerated matters. It led to mass chaos, and O'Gara was the only one to be picked up.
The score was 29-9 at the time of the carding, and by the time O'Gara came back the score hadn't changed, so it didn't have a massive bearing on the outcome of the game. However it looked like the wrong call, and I know some of you wanted to see it again.
If you were referee on the day, what would your call have been?
Posted at 3:16 pm | 83 comments
Related Posts
Posted in Big Hits & Dirty Play
|
|
Viewing 83 comments
Huh!! the 3rd January 20, 2011 5:46 pm

He also described the tussle as 2 heavy weights. Nice. I just can't believe he got the better of someone (even though Mignoni is nearly smaller than Stringer).
I thought the 3rd man in gets carded unless there's been a blatant foul. It had almost finished when Contepomi came in. And Leamy was way over the top, he and Contepomi have previous.
James Coffey January 20, 2011 5:49 pm

GTI January 20, 2011 5:57 pm

id have given a yellow card to mignoni becuase i think hes starting the fight after ROG enters the ruck.
btw: what is contepomis hand doing in rogs face? ( even though its just there for a sec )
Malcolm Bradbrook January 20, 2011 6:04 pm

I don't know if the refs just expect O'Gara to put up with a half-nelson and hands all over his face (we all know what goes on there) until help arrives. If so it is bloody unrealistic and plays into the hands of dirty players
Anonymous January 20, 2011 6:07 pm

Citing Commissioner January 20, 2011 6:09 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 6:25 pm

if there were any, they had to be shown 4 yellow cards.ROG, mignoni, contemponi and leamy
tommyM January 20, 2011 6:27 pm

fry January 20, 2011 6:37 pm

fry January 20, 2011 6:40 pm

From what I can tell, it's some new kind of handshake.
Rhys January 20, 2011 6:55 pm

Mignoni started it and escalated it... it was just handbags and pathetic really
Anonymous January 20, 2011 6:57 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 7:03 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 7:10 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 7:18 pm

I'm sure Cantepomi enjoyed the chance to get at O' Gara.
Anonymous January 20, 2011 7:24 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 7:27 pm

KG January 20, 2011 7:30 pm

Firstly, it was as much one as the other.
Secondly, Mignogni did put his fist on ROG's cheek before ROG did it and this happened with the touch judge leaning over the two.
Thirdly, the touch judge clearly was unsure about giving a card. He hesitated, and when the ref said he would give a yellow, the touch judge came over and said something about it how it was both of them (he first said it was ROG, then changed his mind and said it was both of them?). Pearson should never have given the card when they were both uncertain.
You should never give a card unless you know what you have seen. I remember a few weeks ago Ulster were playing and a back row killed the ball but a centre got sin binned because the referee didn't see who actually did it. Stuff like that is annoyinh.
Anonymous January 20, 2011 7:32 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 7:35 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 8:06 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 8:08 pm

ether that or given both swords and let them fight it out like proper men
Anonymous January 20, 2011 8:12 pm

Sick and tired of these blokes being expected to behave like saints in such a confrontational environment.
dutchrugbyplayer January 20, 2011 8:30 pm

A bit harsh on O'Gara. First he has to enter a ruck and almost loses to a guy the size of my handkerchief. To top it off the ref makes a wrong decision. I wonder what his horoscope said that morning...
Liam Grimes January 20, 2011 9:21 pm

Liam Grimes January 20, 2011 9:23 pm

Anonymous January 20, 2011 9:37 pm

Contepomi is a hero
Justice is done
Flipje January 20, 2011 9:46 pm

Very harsh for ROG
No yellow what so ever, just a good schuffle.....
But clearly the best collective move of the Munster players in the all game......
Reading some of the comments (not all) I am happy only the French are moaning ;-)
Tom January 20, 2011 9:53 pm

They should just be seperated and told not to do it again.
End of story.
Cards for stuff like this is always overkill.
Homer January 20, 2011 10:08 pm

How many ruggers does it take to break up a fight?
30.
Third Centre January 20, 2011 10:27 pm

However it must have been very sweeet for contempomi considering the amount of off the ball attention he used to get from the munster team down the years. Call it Karma.
(u-p)rick January 20, 2011 10:43 pm

I have to admit though, I was extremely shocked at Richie Rees citing and so to see all these hands on faces, (which look like blatant non gouges, yet still blantantly a hand on the eye area) and have no citings thus far, and no one had up for gouging is quite incredible. Nearly as incredible as seeing ROG get a card for something so weak.. He entered the ruck and mignoni grabs him round the head... Now there is no way I'd give mignoni a card for that behaviour but he was the instigator. Much like the other comments, I believe the touchy should have voiced his concerns at the yellow... No need at all, yellow for all or yellow for none really...
Colombes January 20, 2011 10:43 pm

Donal January 20, 2011 11:16 pm

Donal January 20, 2011 11:18 pm

Donal January 20, 2011 11:18 pm

mat January 20, 2011 11:35 pm

but it was the touch judge who called it.
Contepomi escalated it, also his hand touched o gara's face will he get a 12week ban like rees?
Richard January 20, 2011 11:58 pm

Erc need to have a look at this and themselves. Absolute Disgrace!
Anonymous January 21, 2011 12:51 am

Something happened during the fight, but the Irish was not the only guilty for sure... and Contepomi was only trying to separate them when the Munster forward (not sure who) appear to burn it up...
I would have never show any card... I would simply have called both captains to give an advice...
Anyway, Toulon performance was amusing... in my opinion both Wilko and Contepomi together are a really dangerous pair of fly half-centers (southern way), so complementary, great work together and an incredible versatility to create options for their backs...
Serious chances for the Heineken cup... we will see...
Much good rugby for all of you and regards from Spain...
DJ January 21, 2011 1:15 am

Jose_GD January 21, 2011 2:29 am

Jose_GD January 21, 2011 2:33 am

(see first seconds of the clip)
ReactorField January 21, 2011 3:11 am

WelshOsprey January 21, 2011 4:52 am

Anonymous January 21, 2011 6:18 am

Anonymous January 21, 2011 8:44 am

Anonymous January 21, 2011 9:43 am

Von January 21, 2011 9:55 am

O'Gara's interview after the match was incredible, just for his honesty and frankness I'll defend him to the end, when all sportsmen give bland cliched answers, ROG stands above them all.
He also described the tussle as 2 heavy weights. Nice.
I've just seen the interview - toally agree with you! Brutally honest appraisal of himself and his team.
Love the "battle of the heavyweights" comment!
http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,12610_6666606,00.html
Anonymous January 21, 2011 10:25 am

This touch judge described what he saw to the referee very clearly. On hearing his, Pearson suggested the card for O'Gara.
To me it is up to the touch judge to say 'no, it wasn't worth a card.' Because he never said that, Pearson had to give the card.
Refereeing was fine, touch judge lacked balls though.
Anonymous January 21, 2011 10:57 am

Anonymous January 21, 2011 11:04 am

Anonymous January 21, 2011 11:19 am

Resident Troll January 21, 2011 12:32 pm

(see first seconds of the clip)'
I seem to recall a certain French 10 ducking his head down and allowing a charging forward through....
I believe it was called: 'Friday Funnies - Jean-Baptiste Elissalde the Matador' Now jog my memory, isn't he a french international?
Anonymous January 21, 2011 12:39 pm

BUT PLEASE can you guys stop being all anti-latins all the time? everytime an argentinian/french/italian side or guy plays, you'll be prejudiced because you do not accept the fact that non-British or English speaking countries can play good rugby. Italy's gonna be an excellent side in 10-20 years, you guys have to accept that the French, the Argentinians and the Italians ALSO have the right to play and lift the Cup every once in a while. Stop being so prejudiced.
oh and btw, if ROG and Mignoni did not deserve a card for that Barbie-brawl, for sure they didn't deserve a jersey for fighting like pussies on the pitch: wtf was that, some kind of a Kama sutra position????
Anonymous January 21, 2011 1:11 pm

rosh January 21, 2011 1:42 pm

rosh January 21, 2011 1:42 pm

rosh January 21, 2011 1:45 pm

Juggernauter January 21, 2011 3:43 pm

Anonymous January 21, 2011 4:19 pm

3rd man in gets the card so Philipe should have walked
Anonymous January 21, 2011 4:29 pm

BUT PLEASE can you guys stop being all anti-latins all the time? everytime an argentinian/french/italian side or guy plays, you'll be prejudiced because you do not accept the fact that non-British or English speaking countries can play good rugby. Italy's gonna be an excellent side in 10-20 years, you guys have to accept that the French, the Argentinians and the Italians ALSO have the right to play and lift the Cup every once in a while. Stop being so prejudiced."
What are you talking about? There is no anti-latin feeling and no feeling that non-British / English speaking countries can't play good rugby. Where the fuck did you get that from? People are just fed up of French for repeated incidents on the pitch and then the French fans complaining or saying their players are being conspired against or something....
Vin January 21, 2011 10:52 pm

misterrugby January 22, 2011 7:36 pm

I can say for exemple that after the yellow card for O'Gara, there is another yellow card for Munster that the referee never punished.
Anonymous January 22, 2011 11:41 pm

Anonymous January 23, 2011 12:18 pm

Mike January 23, 2011 3:51 pm

I would not complain about bias against French teams after this example when O'Gara gets a card that he did not deserve, and Contempomi (the third man to join) did not get a yellow that the rules say he should have.
I blame the referee's assistant really - he did not think that ROG deserved a card but did not have the balls to say so.
Flipje January 23, 2011 5:31 pm

Probably Mike.....no wait just watched Wasps Toulouse........no you are right no bias at all
Fair point, let the French stop moaning ;-)
misterrugby January 23, 2011 5:37 pm

Flipje January 23, 2011 6:16 pm

Anyhow, I close the debate, I am sure this will be discussed in a separated post.....
Ps: Good luck to Fritz, he is going to pay (rightfully to be honest) for his (afterward) gesture........Let see if it is more than reacting unappropriately to a doping test ;-)
Anonymous January 23, 2011 6:35 pm

Mike January 24, 2011 1:45 pm

Thanks.
misterrugby January 24, 2011 4:16 pm

Je retire "britannique" pour "anglo-saxons". Voil pour la forme, pour le fond a ne change rien au problme.
Flipje January 24, 2011 7:42 pm

For some French, Munster is a cheese from the East of France...not as bad one actually.
So we will try our best....
















Commenting as Guest | Register or Login