A purple card given to England full-back Freddie Steward in Saturday’s defeat by Grand Slam winners Eire has been referred to as “an utter farce” and “completely ridiculous” by former gamers.

Keenan left the sector for a head damage evaluation, which he failed.

Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson mentioned: “The officers are displaying a lack of expertise of the sport.”

Dawson argued that Steward was making an attempt his finest to not make contact as he and Keenan flew in the direction of one another.

“I am unable to disagree with how the contact is a purple however it’s the context of the way it went to that contact,” Dawson mentioned on BBC Radio 5 Reside.

“He’s stepping and slowing and turning to get out of the contact space, and has been punished by being despatched off. It’s a mockery.

“He was doing his utmost to keep away from any type of contact. It’s an utter farce.”

Stricter refereeing round harmful challenges is a part of World Rugby’s efforts to cut back head accidents, however critics have raised considerations over purple playing cards deciding the end result of matches. Eire led 10-6 when Steward left the sector and went on to win 29-16 in Dublin.

World Rugby, England’s Rugby Soccer Union and the Welsh Rugby Union are dealing with authorized motion from greater than 200 ex-professional gamers who say they weren’t sufficiently shielded from mind accidents within the sport.

In addition to tightening sort out legal guidelines within the elite recreation, World Rugby not too long ago started a trial to scale back sort out peak in the neighborhood recreation. A 20-minute purple card has been trialled within the Southern Hemisphere’s Rugby Championship.

Steward’s was the third purple card of the 2023 Six Nations, with France and Scotland receiving one every of their third-round match.

Twelve yellow playing cards had been proven in the course of the match – together with one for England’s Jack Willis within the ultimate 5 minutes towards Eire.

‘Ridiculous’ and ‘a shambles’ – how rugby reacted

World Cup winner Jason Robinson described referee Jaco Peyper’s choice to offer Steward a purple as “completely ridiculous”, including: “That was a yellow card at finest.”

England centre Jonathan Joseph mentioned it was an “absolute shambles”, whereas former wing Ugo Monye described it as a “dangerous name” as a result of the conflict was “a rugby incident”.

Ex-England captain Will Carling mentioned: “Steward had a cut up second to react – after a knock-on – to a person operating at him.

“There was no intent – he was defending himself – what a joke.”

England’s Check cricket captain Ben Stokes additionally referred to as the choice a “shambles”, including: “Rugby [is] being ruined.”

Former Eire again row Jamie Heaslip was sympathetic to England’s plight, however believed World Rugby’s head contact course of, which appears on the diploma of hazard within the collision and whether or not there was any mitigation, was adopted accurately.

“For my part it’s a rugby incident, it occurs however as soon as he [the referee] goes to the protocol, it’s not going to go good.”

Participant welfare group Progressive Rugby, which has referred to as for extra motion to guard gamers from damage, mentioned it was “a tricky name”, including that it was “good to see” Keenan obtain a head damage evaluation.