This 2002 Scott Quinnell challenge would surely be a red card and long ban these days

Former Wales back rower Scott Quinnell always had a reputation as being a hard player in his day, and judging by the size and physicality of the man, it’s easy to see why.

He also played on the limit of the rules on occasion, like most back rowers, and was perhaps lucky to only recieve a yellow card for a nasty late challenge on French full back Nicolas Brusque in 2002.

Under today’s revised rulings on high tackles and contact to the upper body area, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that Quinnell would be red carded.

Quinnell’s stray arm had initially been used to charge down Brusque’s kick, but the Welshman did very little to move it out of the way or back out of the challenge, resulting in what looked like an elbow to the head.

We’ve seen many similar incidents in the past year and a half since the rules were tightened, which have resulted in red cards.

Even before that, Scotland full back Stuart Hogg was sent off in the same stadium in 2014 for a reckless challenge on Wales’ Dan Biggar.

That hit was initially just a yellow card, but upgraded to red when referee Jérôme Garces viewed the replay on the big screen.