White insists Wilson citing was ‘harsh’

Former Scotland captain Jason White has described the citing handed out to No 8 Ryan Wilson for alleged foul play during Saturday’s Calcutta Cup triumph as “harsh”.

Wilson faces a Six Nations disciplinary hearing today after being cited by the independent commissioner for allegedly “making contact with the eye area” of Nathan Hughes.

In the 37th minute of Saturday’s game, Wilson was pinned to the ground by the England No 8 off the ball and appeared to drag his hand down the Englishman’s face. The citing comes under Law 9.12, which is distinct from the more serious charge of “contact with the eyes”, known as gouging, but still carries the threat of a minimum four-week ban, which would end Wilson’s Six Nations.

Three-time Calcutta Cup winner White said: “It looked harsh to me. It is such a tough area. If there is any contact near the eyes, slow motion makes it look a lot worse than it is. I don’t believe he has done it intentionally and hopefully it’s dismissed.”

Referee Nigel Owens spoke to both players and, after receiving no complaint or explanation, told both players to get on with the game.

White said: “If it had been

bad you expect Nathan Hughes to come up and say to the ref, ‘look at my eye’, but, as far as I know, he didn’t do that. That is a pretty good sign if there has been anything untoward.”

Wilson has also been implicated in the other major point of acrimony of the weekend’s aftermath – the alleged pre-match tunnel bust-up with Owen Farrell. That matter has not been pursued through the citing procedure, with both unions asked to give their version of events instead. Available footage has proved inconclusive that anything serious took place andwhitehasseennothingtoconvince him the Scot has any case to answer. “What I have seen on social media from the clip from up above it looks to me as if Owen Farrell has misbehaved in pushing his way through,” said White, who enjoyed success in the Calcutta Cup fixture in 2000, 2006 as captain and again in 2008, which was Scotland’s last victory over the auld enemy until the magnificent 25-13 win on Saturday.

“I am guessing Ryan Wilson turned round and saw who it was and quite rightly reacted.

“If you put yourself in his shoes. He [Wilson] is mentally getting himself ready to put his body on the line and to go through 80 minutes of pain, pretty much. Of pushing his body to the limits.

“If an opposition player comes up and gives you a nudge in the back, or clippedryan’shead,orsomethinglike he [Farrell] did and you don’t see him, you are going to react.

“I am sure the Scotland squad would have targeted Owen Farrell and, to be fair on him, he was very good at the weekend.

“If you are a Scotland squad, you go for him, you go for the strengths.”