Davies not to be cited for trip

[Old Hob]

From the BBC:
Wales centre Jonathan Davies will not be punished for tripping England's two-try hero Chris Ashton in their opening Six Nations defeat in Cardiff.
Former England hooker Brian Moore felt Scarlets star Davies should have been red-carded on his Six Nations debut for the second-half trip on Ashton.
French citing commissioner Jean-Etienne Bernard had until 2130 GMT on Sunday to take retrospective punishment.
"There was no bad intentions, I am not a dirty player," pleaded Davies.
Davies was not sent off or even sin-binned on Friday and he stayed on to set up Morgan Stoddart for Wales' only try on the hour in their 26-19 defeat to England at the Millennium Stadium.

Edit:

I'll post the reference:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 388529.stm

[Tyzot]

Really difficult to understand how he has escaped punishment.

A clear deliberate trip - not the worst that you will ever see - but tripping is a red card offence.

[Chobbsy]

A French ref, he may claim to be Irish but we all know different

[Bill W (2)]

A French ref, he may claim to be Irish but we all know different

Nah he is Irish- Magners. Not good enough to ref French League!

[mol2]

Tripping seems be ignored these days.
Head butts get minimal punishments & gouging has been treated too leniently as well.

We complain about weak referrees but citing seems to have gone soft.

A deliberate trip is a red card matter. That was a deliberate trip. Why no action?

[Rykard]

wrong colour shirt obviously - not enough green... (ducks)

[Tigerbob]

I've never quite understood the rationale for trips i.e. with the foot/leg being a potential red card offence, yet the 'tap tackle' is deemed to be a clean and fair way of stopping an opponent in their tracks.

In my youth, playing on the wing, I've been tackled that way a number of times (I was quite fast in those days).

It's not a good feeling to be brought down running at full pelt that way.

[tigerben]

i think the big difference between a trip and a tap tackle is the likelihood of injury.

A tap tackle a worse could result in a hamstring injury. A trip could result in a leg break and lead to a playing career ending.

Also a lot of tap tackles are from mistimed dive tackles that only catch the trailing leg rather than getting both.

was watching our game at Scarlets again last night, and on around 79:50, Staunton chips the ball forward and it looks like Davies attempts to trip Allen. Worth a watch if anyone still has a copy of the match

[Jay C]

it looks like Davies attempts to trip Allen. Worth a watch if anyone still has a copy of the match

...so he's a serial tripper then ?

Regardless of what we deem appropriate punishment, a red card offence it currently is, so he should have been punished....

If the ref (AND assistants) miss it during the game, then that is what the citing guy is there for....

[mol2]

The Davies trip was not accidental. Pathetic yes but not intended to injure.

In rugby tackles are made with the arms - be that a tap or full on, full frontal charge. No arms and it's not a tacke.
There's no force of note in a tap tacke to limited risk of injury unless you fall awkwardly but that applied to all tackles & is just part of the game. (As is an accidental trip)

A trip with a boot (attached to a weightly leg) potentially applies a lot more force to the player being tripped and thus more risk of injury.
Punish accordingly to dissuade it.

[Bill W (2)]

In my playing days (many years ago) once when I was playing openside - I was once cautioned by the referee for tripping. The b***ard fly half sidestepped me but I had left a training leg behind. On another occasion the report of the match recorded how I took the pass, avoided the trip, and fed the man outside me for the winning try!

I think a week or three off the park may have discouraged Mr. Davies from doing it again. As has been mentioned he is making something of a habit of it.

[Sherpa2]

In my playing days (many years ago) once when I was playing openside - I was once cautioned by the referee for tripping. The b***ard fly half sidestepped me but I had left a training leg behind.

Is that like stabilizers on a push bike Bill?

[Bill W (2)]

In my playing days (many years ago) once when I was playing openside - I was once cautioned by the referee for tripping. The b***ard fly half sidestepped me but I had left a training leg behind.

Is that like stabilizers on a push bike Bill?

Very similar. In any event left behind me me as in trailing!