Chile pay for lack of global standard

SMALL earthquake in Chile nobody hurt used to be a shorthand term in old Fleet Street for a story that had no interest and potential readership and I wonder if Chile itself – or at least their rugby team – are reflecting on something similar this week.

Chile’s voice is rarely heard at rugby’s top table but somebody ought to speak up on their behalf after finding themselves on the wrong end of a shocking late call in Montevideo last week which possibly cost them a famous World Cup qualifying win over Uruguay.

The Condores are much improved recently since former Bristol and Stade Francais prop Pablo Lemoine took over the reins. Lemoine was in charge of Uruguay at RWC2015 and also had a brief spell with Germany before heading for Santiago.

They fancied their chances a little in Montevideo and were just 15-10 down in the 73rd minute when their strong No.8 Alfonso Escobar drove, seemingly unstoppably, at the line from a few metres out. En route though he was clattered painfully in the head by the forearm of experienced Uruguay scrum-half Agustin Ormaechea who was trying to wrap himself around and under the Condores forward.

He succeeded but only after making dangerous, forceful and illegal contact with Escobar’s head. A red card and penalty by any definition yet the score was disallowed. It could have/might have heralded a famous win, alas we will never know. What we do know is that it was infinitely more a red card challenge than that of Marika Koroibete when he received his marching orders for Australia against France 12,500km away in Brisbane. Rugby is still some way short of a uniform global approach on this area.