The IRFU have been accused of ‘gaming the system’ in an attempt to get Garry Ringrose back in the Ireland team despite his ban.
The 30-year-old is not available for Saturday’s visit of France to the Aviva due to a red card he received in the win over Wales.
Ringrose’s initial yellow was upgraded to red by bunker review before a World Rugby ruling saw him given a three-match suspension.
IRFU and Ireland have been accused of ‘gaming the system’ to get Garry Ringrose back. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Ringrose’s ban can be downgraded to just two matches pending the completion of the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Program – commonly known as ‘tackle school’.
Additionally, Leinster‘s win over Cardiff on Saturday was included as part of the suspension, meaning he will be free to face Italy in Rome on Saturday week.
That decision, however, has resulted in plenty of blowback.
Given that the province’s centre was very unlikely to have featured in the URC clash in the first place, some have taken issue with it being included as part of the ban.
Ireland can use Garry Ringrose against Italy despite the red card ban. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Speaking on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, BBC rugby correspondent Chris Jones feels unions like the IRFU are taking people for ‘fools’ for being allowed to count Leinster matches as part of the ban.
Ireland are ‘gaming the system’
‘I just don’t like these unions gaming the system,’ he argued. ‘I don’t like a union pretending that Garry Ringrose would have been released for that [Cardiff] game.
‘Not in a month of Sundays would Garry Ringrose have been released to play for Leinster against Cardiff in the URC a week before Ireland against France.
‘I’m sorry they can say “Oh, he needed game time” – I’m just not buying it and it is not an Ireland thing because everyone is at it and England have been as bad as anyone because they did it in 2023 with Owen Farrell.’
Owen Farrell also saw his ban reduced in the manner of Ireland’s Garry Ringrose. Pic: Dan Mullan – The RFU Collection via Getty Images
‘They tried to pretend and I still can’t get my head around it that Farrell would have been released the week before the Calcutta Cup as England captain to play Saracens against Bristol.
‘I’m sorry, stop taking us for fools.
‘In the same way, there is no way that Garry Ringrose would have been released… the whole thing doesn’t look good and doesn’t sit right that Ringrose is barely getting a deterrent at all.’
French reaction
FFR vice-president Jean-Marc Lhermet has also hit out at Ringrose being free to take on the Azzurri in a week’s time – comparing the matter to the ban given to Romain Ntamack earlier in the tournament.
France’s fly-half Romain Ntamack was unable to get his ban cut down by missing a Toulouse match. Pic: FRANCK FIFE / AFP
‘Like everyone else, we were very surprised when we learned of the decision of SNRL (Six Nations Rugby Limited) concerning Garry Ringrose, in comparison with the terms of application of the sanction that had been imposed on Romain Ntamack,’ he told Midi Olympique.
‘However, the two cases seemed very comparable to us. This is why we contacted World Rugby for a request for explanations.
‘We need to be enlightened as to what could have motivated such a difference.
‘What we see, looking back, is that Garry Ringrose never played for his province in these matches during the Six Nations tournament. With the information at our disposal, nothing suggests that this would have been the case this time. That is why we have made a request for explanations.’
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2025-03-04 12:17:22
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