Wasps anger after Carreras escapes with ‘eye-gouging’

Heppenstall

Newcastle wing Mateo Carreras is facing the prospect of a lengthy ban for allegedly gouging the eye of opposite number Josh Bassett during Wasps’ impressive comeback victory last night.

After Bassett was held up over the line by Tom Penny and Ben Stevenson,

Carreras appeared to stick a finger in the visiting player’s eye as he lay on the turf.

Referee Anthony Woodthorpe took no action but citing officer Chris Sharp is set to take a closer look at the incident and potentially cite Newcastle’s Argentinian wing.

Dean Richards, Newcastle’s director of rugby, said he “did not see” the incident but Wasps coach Lee Blackett said: “Josh was pretty upset at half-time. I think he was upset at the time. It doesn’t look great.”

Blackett’s side had lost six of their previous seven Premiership matches and trailed 18-6 at the interval but fashioned an outstanding second-half display.

Wasps were inspired by the return of lock Joe Launchbury after injury but Newcastle led when Italian counterpart Marco Fuser drove over the line for the opening try.

Newcastle continued to probe and, after Bassett was denied in the incident involving Carreras, they scored again four minutes before the interval. Penny intercepted a cross-field kick and advanced at pace before sending centre George Wacokecoke over the line.

Yet the second half was all about Wasps as Brad Shields went over before Newcastle lost Greg Peterson and Michael Young to the sin-bin. With Newcastle down to 13 men, Wasps forged ahead with a closerange try from Tom West which Jimmy Gopperth converted.