How long a ban?

[Banquo]

Odd situation- England fans looking for a reason for their captain and 10 to get the maximum ban, opposition fans looking for mitigation

[Sandydragon]

Odd situation- England fans looking for a reason for their captain and 10 to get the maximum ban, opposition fans looking for mitigation

Just setting expectations realistically low

[loudnconfident]

Wales head coach, Warren Gatland. “Given his previous I’m not too sure what’s going to happen with that, fingers crossed it’s not long for him [Farrell]”

So Warren (understandably) wants OF back in the England team. He's less keen (also understandably) on Steward playing:

"[Steward] was probably on the threshold of a yellow to a red. He’s taken him out high in the air,” he said. "Sometimes that decision, if it had been made by another official, might have been a red card. It was pretty close. It will be interesting to see what they come back with when they review"

[Margin_Walker]

Gatland can talk about it being on the threshold as much as he likes. Poor as it was, reds just aren't ever given when the player lands horizontally on their side. Presumably directive based, but I can't ever remember seeing one of them given.

Doing so would set a precedent

[Puja]

I'm already fed up of hearing Gatland opining on the England team with his niggly little digs. He is well aware that there is not a referee in the entire world that would ever have given a red for the Steward challenge and is raising the possibility that there might be citing just to be a dick and try and unsettle a young player. He can fuck all of the way off.

Puja

[morepork]

Gatland is an intellectually incurious dull broken record. I’d say keep Farrell because he stinks up the attack, but he is the living embodiment of why HIA and rules designed to avoid HIA exists. There will be a whole cohort of CTE patients clustered around players that have participated in contact sporting fixtures in which shoulder charge boy has been involved. It’s fucking ridiculous. A failing upwards role model for being more violent than skillful. Sort it out RFU.

[FKAS]

I'm already fed up of hearing Gatland opining on the England team with his niggly little digs. He is well aware that there is not a referee in the entire world that would ever have given a red for the Steward challenge and is raising the possibility that there might be citing just to be a dick and try and unsettle a young player. He can fuck all of the way off.

Puja

Yeah, rugby in the home nations really has been a lot better without him. You finally get rid of Eddie and the Welsh bring back this dull wind up merchant. Hopefully Wales crash and burn at the world cup so he gets the sack and they can appoint less of a dick to rebuild around what's a pretty decent cohort of young players.

[Puja]

Hearing on Tuesday, apparently.

Puja

[Stom]

Hearing on Tuesday, apparently.

Puja

I hope he eats biscuits like a dick

[Danno]

Hearing on Tuesday, apparently.

Puja

I hope he eats biscuits with his dick

[Puja]

The IRB would still probably say, "His dick biscuiting showed genuine contrition and remorse, so we think the correct ban, without any reference to any future competitions, should be exactly 2 games."

Having said that, it's apparently an all Australian disciplinary panel, which is probably as close as can be got to a hostile jury, considering that the IRB probably don't have even have three Argentine or Japanese members in total, let alone ones they can involve in disciplinaries.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

[p/d]

can't be any truth behind that. Dan is such a nice guy.

[Mellsblue]

I don’t whether to laugh or cry.

[Mikey Brown]

It’s really hard to imagine that is a thing anybody says in the heat of battle, except maybe Joe Marler. Am I being dim or he not just talking about Farrell’s dad?

[Puja]

It’s really hard to imagine that is a thing anybody says in the heat of battle, except maybe Joe Marler. Am I being dim or he not just talking about Farrell’s dad?

I believe that tweeting person may not have been entirely serious...

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Am I being dim or he not just talking about Farrell’s dad?

Congratulations on identifying the punchline; but failing to identify THAT it's the punchline.

I will allow that it's early on a Monday

[FKAS]

It’s really hard to imagine that is a thing anybody says in the heat of battle, except maybe Joe Marler. Am I being dim or he not just talking about Farrell’s dad?

I believe that tweeting person may not have been entirely serious...

Puja

And may have enjoyed poking fun at Farrell previously.

I think a charity boxing match between the two would be for the benefit of all. Biggar and Farrell that is.

[Mikey Brown]

Oh…

Well that’s disappointing in a number of ways.

[p/d]

Oh…

Well that’s disappointing in a number of ways.

You took one for the team Mikey. I ‘know’ Mellsblue was one word away from mocking me for not getting the punch line

[Mikey Brown]

I genuinely thought that person was just regurgitating the content of that article. I guess it says something about my expectations of these guys and their banter, as much as it does about my own stupidity.

[Insouciant]

Reports on twatter that Farrell's red card has been overturned and he's been given no ban - anyone know if this is legit?

** Edit - seems legit https://twitter.com/chrisjonespress/sta ... 2359450626

[Gloskarlos]

It has - statement released by RFU, downgraded to yellow as a result of #2 changing the dynamics. available to play immediately.

Just wow.

[paddy no 11]

Right I'm backing Argentina, England's shot at a world cup just sailed

[Insouciant]

Right I'm backing Argentina, England's shot at a world cup just sailed

I was looking forward to us playing with Ford, just to see what happens when he was given a couple of proper centres to play with. It's happened so infrequently that I can't remember.