Johnny Sexton has said that Dragons number eight Ross Moriarty’s comments may have been ‘misguided’ when the Wales back-row implied that the Ireland fly-half was given special treatment by referees after their match at the RDS last month.
Moriarty was yellow carded in the first-half of the Dragons 52-10 loss to Leinster last month for a blatant late hit on Sexton but inferred that the Ireland out-half would not have received the same punishment if the roles had been reversed.
“Some may say it was harsh, some may say it was fair, but if Johnny did that against me in that game I know for a fact he would not have had anything happen to him,” Moriarty said on the BBC Wales Scrum V programme last month.
“It’s nice to see little players running around making a fool of big players but when a big player gets hold of a smaller one there’s always a big scene.
“Most players will have had something happen to them if they hit Johnny Sexton off the ball because obviously he has a big pull in the game these days which is quite sad.”
Sexton dismissed the notion that he is given preferential treatment by officials at a MACE launch for their new advertising and social media campaign focusing on the fresh departments in store – deli, bakery and fresh foods and added that he would not have tackled a player after he had passed the ball similarly to how Moriarty dumped him at the RDS.
“He implied me and the refs have a great relationship? I think he’s misguided there,” said Sexton.
“Look, I don’t know really. I was surprised because I think anyone who watched the game saw that what he did – shoulder charged – I wouldn’t have done that to another player. I wouldn’t shoulder charge someone in the back when they don’t have the ball. I don’t have to worry about it.”
Sexton also did not seem to be too fazed by World Rugby’s clampdown on tackles around the head but added that he did feel some level of sympathy for Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani after he was sent off for a high tackle on Rory Scannell during his side’s loss to Munster last weekend.
Danny Cipriani has been sent off 🔴
He knew straight away he was going to be shown red for this tackle.
He apologised on his way off but his week has gone from bad to worse… pic.twitter.com/XGga2MHz2P
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 20, 2018
Sexton felt there was a lack of malice in Cipriani’s tackle but added that he can understand the clampdown on hits to the head and that player welfare must be at the forefront of the decision making.
“I think they’re doing everything they can to make the game as safe as possible,” he added.
“The hard thing is they have to take the grey area out of it – they’re saying if it’s a shoulder to the head, then it’s a red card. If they keep applying that, then we’ve just got to be more careful.
“I felt a little bit for Cipriani because I don’t think it was malicious or there was intent to hurt anyone. At the same time, it’s a shoulder to the head.
“At the same time, it is very hard and you can understand both arguments but they’re trying to clean the game up and player welfare is at the forefront of their thoughts. It’s probably a good thing for the game.”
Sexton added that he felt that Ireland’s 2016 loss to New Zealand acted as a catalyst for change with regards to the tackle laws and that lawmakers need to take perception and opinion out of the referee’s hands.
“To be honest, I think a big turning in this was when we played the All Blacks here and there were two tackles in that game where, if they happened now, they could be red cards.
“They’re taking the referee’s opinion out of it and saying, ‘if it’s a shoulder to the head, then it’s a red card.’ I suppose that’s what you need to because if it’s left to perception then it’s always like an opinion and you can’t having opinion making decisions. If they’re going to go this way, once it’s consistently reffed, happy days.”
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