Banning Bastareaud was surely the wrong call
There were more big questions raised during the week about rugby’s disciplinary process, with everyone seemingly having a view on whether a couple of decisions were right or wrong.
James Haskell got four weeks off for a clumsy attempt at a tackle on Jamie Roberts, while Mathieu Bastareaud got three weeks for making a homophobic comment about a Benetton opponent, and the decisions sparked plenty of debate.
One of the Welsh media outlets described Haskell’s actions as ‘sickening’, a word that seems to be reserved specifically for something done to a Welsh player! It wasn’t sickening in any way, simply a mistimed challenge that deserved to be punished, but four weeks, really? Haskell and Roberts exchanged tweets after the match where the Wasps player apologised, and Roberts good-naturedly accepted his apology. Of course, that shouldn’t be used as any sort of mitigation, but the sentence did seem harsh to me, and I’m far from the only one.
Austin Healey and Brian O’Driscoll had an exchange of views on the subject with Healey in the ‘these things happen’ camp, and O’Driscoll making the point that discipline is now outcome, rather than intent, based.
Where this gets really interesting is when it’s compared to Bastareaud’s actions and his ban. Banning him was one way of tackling the issue, but what would be even better, and probably more effective, would be if someone sat him down and educated him in the ways of the modern world.
In commentary, Andy Goode got on his high horse, and later tweeted that he wanted World Rugby to ‘throw the book’ at Bastareaud, but I simply can’t agree with that. Let’s not get too sanctimonious about this: players have always made heat-of-themoment comments, many of which would rightly be regarded as utterly unacceptable if they’d been widely heard, but they weren’t because there wasn’t a microphone anywhere near them.
At the end of the match those words were usually forgotten as just one of those things and a handshake generally sorted things out. Bastareaud is, of course, black, and I’ll bet you that at some stage in his career he has experienced racist comments during a match that haven’t been picked up.
Letting viewers hear the referee’s mic is great, but it comes with risks attached. Straight after the Bastareaud incident we got the usual anodyne apology for swearing, and this is becoming nonsensical. If you don’t know that when you watch rugby there’s a risk you’ll hear what is patronisingly referred to as ‘industrial language’, then you shouldn’t be trusted with the TV remote control!
I’ve challenged the broadcasters on their compulsion to apologise and they insist they are required to do it. That is tosh. A one-off pre-emptive apology before the match would do the trick.
Bastareaud’s remarks were plain wrong, but I can’t see how a ban is going to prevent it happening again. A public apology, which Bastareaud has given, and a stiff warning would have been a much more sensible way to react.
For some a heat-of-themoment homophobic remark is a flogging offence, while others laugh it off. Similarly, a mistimed tackle, especially from a ‘Marmite’ player like Haskell is just one of those things that happen, or it’s the opportunity to pillory him!
Ten out of ten to Harlequins for their performance last weekend. Already out of the running in their pool, they really fronted up to Wasps when they could have been forgiven for sending out a weakened side, or simply easing off. They didn’t, so full credit to John Kingston, his coaches, and the players, for the integrity they showed.
It was disappointing for English rugby that they probably wrecked the chances of another Premiership club qualifying for the Champions Cup quarter-finals, but in the greater scheme of things they did the right thing, and that’s to be applauded. If Quins can put in another great performance this afternoon in La Rochelle, Wasps’ destiny could still be in their own hands, even though that would be an escape act of which Houdini would have been proud!