The referee who failed to punish Owen Farrell for a no-arms tackle in the final minute of England’s victory in their autumn opener against South Africa has admitted he made a mistake.
Farrell’s tackle on Andre Esterhuizen came shortly before the final whistle, with England leading by a point, but despite conferring with the Television Match Official, Angus Gardner opted not to award the Springboks a penalty.
Now the Australian, who was named World Rugby Referee of the Year on Sunday, has accepted Farrell should have been punished.
Farrell has been in the news again after a similar incident involving Australia’s Izack Rodda on Saturday was punished only with a penalty, when a penalty try and yellow card could have been awarded, given it happened on Farrell’s tryline.
Gardner told Will Greenwood’s Rugby Podcast: “In hindsight, having discussed it with some other referees, the general consensus would be that a penalty was probably the outcome that should have been given.
“We need to see a wrap with both arms and, although he got pinned, there wasn’t a big enough wrap from both arms. The angles I saw showed a clear wrap of the front arm, but it was the back arm which got pinned.
It seemed to me to be enough of a wrap for me to constitute a legal tackle. It was never high and so all we were looking at was the technique. The collision itself also swayed my decision because it was a big rugby collision and we see these hits in the game.”
At the end of a month of inconsistent officiating, Gardner said referees should follow his lead and admit when they feel they have made a mistake.
“We don’t always get it right and we understand that there are going to be decisions that are going to influence the game,” he said. “At this level, the expectation is that we get it right. That’s what we’re striving to achieve, but we don’t always. The best way is just to be honest. If I made a mistake, I’ve got to put my hand up.”
