Delaney reacts over card incident

SCARLETS coach Glenn Delaney has addressed the controversial decision not to send off Ulster forward Kieran Treadwell after an incident with prop Javan Sebastian in Sunday evening’s Guinness PRO14 encounter in Belfast.

Treadwell received only a yellow card after Italian referee Andrea Piardi changed his mind following an intervention from Irish TMO Brian Macneice.

The home lock had connected with a shoulder to the face area of Sebastian as the front rower carried the ball forward. Sebastian subsequently failed a head injury assessment and had to leave the field, despite Macneice suggesting there’d been only “minimal force in the contact”.

The offence was later described on social media as rugby’s ‘reddest red card ever’.

Compounding the sense of injustice among Scarlets’ supporters, Treadwell went on to score a try that helped Ulster secure a 26-24 victory.

Delaney said: “The referee had made a call. The TMO came in and changed the mind on it.

“I guess whoever looks at these things will have a look at it. But Javan Sebastian failed a HIA, so if you’re looking for force there’s a guy who’s had to leave the field for the whole game because he’s been hit in the head. “So, really unfortunate.”

The incident occurred in the 16th minute, with Sebastian clearly jolted by the impact from the left shoulder of the 6ft 6in, 18st 6lb Treadwell.

Referee Piardi initially appeared ready to dismiss Treadwell, saying while watching the incident on the big screen: “Based on what I’m seeing I’ve got a red card against five black.”

But Macneice then asked for the pictures to be shown again, in real time.

The television match official then said: “So, for me, the facts are correct. There’s minimal force in the contact.”

Piardi replied: “So we can bring down the red to yellow...?” To which Macneice responded: “Correct.”

It didn’t look a great call at a time when there’s supposed to be heightened concern in rugby about player welfare and, in particular, about head injuries.