‘I can’t answer why it was missed but it certainly was missed and it shouldn’t be missed’
Owens has had his say on the Dan Sheehan incident(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
Nigel Owens believes British & Irish Lions star Dan Sheehan should have been penalised for his clear-out on Australia fly-half Tom Lynagh during the final Test of the series.
In a fiery encounter that involved a lot of heated exchanges between the two teams, the clear-out from Ireland international Sheehan forced Lynagh to be removed from the field with a concussion. It is an issue which has caused him to miss out on the Wallabies’ opening Rugby Championship matches against the Springboks in the coming weeks.
Sheehan was cited and banned following the game, but legendary Welsh referee Owens says that the officials have to be dealing with incidents like Sheehan’s on the field.
“Nobody should be in any doubt that this is foul play,” said Owens in the latest episode of World Rugby’s Whistle Watch. “And it’s been dealt with due to the process that’s in place where, if the match officials, including the TMO, miss something on the day.
“They may not have had enough to trigger them to check something, maybe the footage they saw wasn’t clear enough to say there is or there isn’t. For whatever reason it was missed.
“This type of action is definitely foul play and illegal. Dan Sheehan comes in with his arm down leading with the shoulder. No matter what happens here, the actions are dangerous and they are foul play.”
Owens continued: “Unfortunately, I can’t answer why it was missed but it certainly was missed and it shouldn’t be missed. We should be getting these types of actions because we want them out of the game.
“Some people might be asking: ‘Why didn’t you go back to check it later if it’s a clear red card?’ Imagine Dan Sheehan scores a couple of minutes later and then you go back to check this [earlier incident] and realise, ‘hang on, Dan Sheehan should be having a red card here’, what happens then?
“If he should be off the field then he wouldn’t have scored this try, so what do you do? Do you take the points away? You’re just opening up a huge can of worms then.
“My personal view, and not the referees’ view, although there are referees who would tend to agree with me, and not World Rugby’s view, is that the protocol is far too long as it is now.
“This is why we’re seeing a lot of TMO intervention and a little bit too much, but also remember we get a lot of things right as well, and that’s important to remember.
“If you extend the protocol even more, you’re just going to have a huge can of worms opened and then you’re going to stop for something that was five or six minutes back, and everyone’s going, ‘what’s going on here?’
“That’s why the protocol needs to be within that timeframe.”
Sheehan has been banned for four games, which will be reduced to three if he completes World Rugby’s coaching intervention.
The encounter between the two sides in the third Test was fearsome, with multiple scuffles throughout the game.
Former international referee Owen Doyle even condemned England legend Owen Farrell for laying into Australian centre Joseph Suaali’i , questioning the values of rugby and describing the game as a “travesty” due to behaviour from both sets of players.
The next Lions tour takes place in 2029, with the iconic touring side heading to New Zealand to take on the mighty All Blacks.