Zander Fagerson sent off against Wales
Scotland tighthead Zander Fagerson was sent off in the 53rd minute of today’s Six Nations match against Wales at Murrayfield.
The incident is on the match highlights package tweeted by the Guinness Six Nations account – you’ll find it below at about 2:05 into the footage.
Fair play to our editors who managed to get this down to a four-minute highlights package! ?
Relive this fantastic game of #GuinnessSixNations rugby between ??????? @ScotlandTeam and ??????? @WelshRugbyUnion.#SCOvWAL pic.twitter.com/Z62bq0HuJx
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 13, 2021
The Glasgow prop made contact to the head of opposite number Wyn Jones at a ruck. Referee Matt Carley, in consultation with TMO Karl Dickson, decided Fagerson had run in from distance, with a clear line of sight, and made contact to Jones’s head with his shoulder.
Carley ruled that there were no mitigating factors that might have allowed Fagerson to escape with a yellow card. If anything, the late movement of Jones’s head helped Fagerson by reducing the impact of the contact.
The red card was the second of the championship following Irishman Peter O’Mahony’s similar offence against Wales last weekend.
5 – Five of the 10 red cards shown in the Six Nations have come against teams playing Wales, with Wales being the only side never to receive a red card in the Championship. Mist. pic.twitter.com/e7md5ecyot
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) February 13, 2021
If we’re serious about protecting the head, that’s a red. Feel for ZF, but how else do you make the breakdown safer?
— Nick Mullins (@andNickMullins) February 13, 2021
It was also the third red card issued to a Scot against Wales in the Six Nations after Scott Murray (2006) and Stuart Hogg (2014). Both those cards happened in Cardiff.
Wyn Jones crossed soon after Fagerson’s dismissal for a try that put Wales ahead 20-17, only for 14-man Scotland to strike back when captain Hogg got over for his second try.
Scotland led a thrilling encounter 24-20 with ten minutes left but were undone by a superb finish from Man of the Match Louis Rees-Zammit.
Ultimately Wales edged a thrilling contest 25-24 to go two from two in the tournament – read about how Rees-Zammit stunned the Scots.
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