Dragons v Leinster ended in huge controversy after a decision that seemingly went against what we normally see
Dragons captain Angus O’Brien can’t believe what he’s hearing
Rugby viewers were left stunned on Friday night as the Dragons’ loss against Leinster was marred by a controversial refereeing decision that has been slammed by pundits, players, coaches and the Welsh club’s hierarchy.
The Dragons were trailing 17-10 late in the game against the Irish giants when Levi Douglas took a high shot to the head from Scott Penny as he went for the line. As the TMO intervened, the expectation from all in attendance at Rodney Parade and beyond was for a penalty to the Welsh team to be forthcoming and a yellow card (at least) for Penny.
But, in a decision that drew boos from the crowd and gasps from the Premier Sports pundits, referee Morne Ferreira decided the forceful shoulder to the head was not foul play. It left Dragons captain Angus O’Brien dumbfounded as he remonstrated with the official, repeatedly saying “shoulder to the head, you’re telling me that’s not foul play?!”.
Attempting to explain the decision, Ferreira said Penny was in a legal tackle position, while Douglas’s height was lowering as he entered the contact: “I know we have head contact but number seven is in a legal position, he goes to wrap and then there are multiple other dynamics that change the tackle dynamic. So we do have head contact but it’s not foul play,” the official said.
The controversial moment of contact in the Dragons v Leinster game
The decision killed off the Dragons’ hopes with five minutes to go, with RG Snyman grabbing a late breakaway score to rub salt into the wounds and complete a 24-10 win.
However, some fans are now calling for the decision and incident to be reviewed, with Dragons bosses speaking out publicly.
Dragons CEO Rhys Blumberg said on X: “Anyone else really struggling with that one @dragonsrfc? Gutted and mystified. Great effort from the lads and deserved more.”
Co-owner David Buttress added: “Long drive back to reflect, the fact is it was shoulder contact to head, the law says with some mitigation for lowering height, that it is a penalty and yellow. Pretty simple. Worrying from a player welfare, law and judgement perspective that the officials got that so wrong.”
Premier Sports commentator Ian Madigan couldn’t believe the decision, saying: “This is such a frustration we have in the game, the inconsistency we’re seeing around high tackles, head shots, yellow cards, red cards. For me, that is a minimum penalty and I would argue a yellow card. The law says it is on the defending player to avoid head contact. There is force behind that as well. There is head contact and it is clear. It is a clear penalty.”
Fellow pundit Ashton Hewitt added: “The level of force. That inconsistency and that decision sends the wrong message.”
One TV viewer said: “Quite incredible that a team of officials review this and deem it not to even be a penalty! Officiating in rugby needs to get its act together.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Another added: “That’s probably the worst decision I’ve ever seen in the history of rugby, ref should pick up a lengthy suspension.”
Dragons coach Filo Tiatia made his views clear, saying: “I thought it was a yellow card. There was clearly shoulder contact to the head.
“I saw it differently to the officials. In the context of the game, it was at a key time when we were close and seven points behind.
“The big fella (Snyman) then took his opportunity down to the edge and scored in the corner.
“I am disappointed for the players. They had more dominance at the scrum, but we stayed in the fight defensively.
“We held them up numerous times over the line. I feel for the players.”
Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.
You can also follow us on social media on our X account, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
For more exclusive stories and in-depth analysis, you can sign up for the Inside Welsh Rugby substack newsletter here.