Baxter calls for more clarity

By Howard Lloyd
21/9/2016

Exeter Chiefs coach Rob Baxter has called for more clarity on incidents such as that which saw Exeter Chiefs prop Tomas Francis sent off against Harlequins on Saturday.

Francis, who will face a disciplinary hearing in Bristol tonight to determine the length of a potential ban, was red-carded late on in Chiefs' 36-25 win over Quins after catching Danny Care's head with his leg while attempting to kick the ball in a ruck.

Baxter conceded that Francis, 24, should have known better following a summer directive from World Rugby instructing referees to punish such offences with a red card. However, he also claimed that, given that the laws themselves have not changed regarding feet in rucks, clarification was needed as to what could and could not be done.

"There are some issues around this and it is something I think we all want some clarification on pretty quickly," said Baxter (pictured). "There aren't any new regulations – the law hasn't changed – and this is a big area that we need to stop and address.

"The directive has been sent out by World Rugby to referees that contact to the head with a leg or foot at the ruck should now be a red card. To me, that seems a little bit odd and an over-simplification to referees."

Baxter continued: "The video clip that was sent out by World Rugby saying it should have been a red card was Will Chudley's incident with Joe Launchbury last season (the Exeter scrum-half was cleared at a hearing after inadvertently making contact with Launchbury's head at a ruck).

"Well, that was cited and under the laws – which haven't changed – that was viewed as being nothing at all. That to me means a lot of ambiguity. It wasn't even a penalty under laws which haven't changed, yet now it should be a red card, and that is a problem."

Francis' sending-off did not ultimately affect the outcome of the game, with Exe holding on to secure their first win of the season.

However, the prop missed a large chunk of last season after being banned for eight weeks in March for making contact with the eye or eye area of England prop Dan Cole.

"Tom shouldn't have done what he did. He hasn't kicked out at Danny Care at all but he knows the directive that if you make contact like that you might get sent off," Baxter went on. "The players are aware that the directive has been given to the referees and none of us have a problem with that.

"But the law hasn't changed and the lawbook states that the start point for that offence is a penalty kick, then yellow card then a potential sending-off."