“Not for many in this World Cup”.
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The Scottish Rugby Union announced on Thursday morning it was challenging the punishments handed to hooker Ford and lock Gray from dumping Samoan Jack Lam on his head with an illegal two-man tip tackle during last weekend’s 36-33 win over Samoa.
To rub salt into their wounds, Sean O’Brien of Ireland received a mere one week suspension despite landing a punch into the stomach of France’s Pascal Pape.
As they prepare to take on an extremely combative Australian side in Sunday’s quarter-final at Twickenham, none of them underestimate the importance of competing with world-class scavengers David Pocock and Michael Hooper, in particular. But Wright, who sits on Scottish Rugby’s disciplinary panel, is convinced there are clear flaws within the rulebook rather than any deliberate conspiracy.
“But personally that is good for me”, explained the South Africa-born Strauss. The trick is to get to the ruck first and be clever about it. Do we feel as though we’re getting the rough end of the stick? “The whole thing’s a mess”.
The three-week bans have been heavily criticised, with former Scotland global Kenny Logan particularly scathing. So nothing, not even the prospect of a few citing official with a zoom lens and a whole load of free time, is unlikely to distract Scotland’s breakdown battlers from the challenge in hand. By any reasonable benchmark his offence was more risky and reckless than that of Ford and Gray.
None of which really helps the Scots, who declared themselves “disappointed” at the bans but were privately understood to be seething.
A spokesperson for World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, defended the citing procedure.
However, Scotland have not given up hope of having Gray and Ford available before the World Cup is over. “My heart always backs Scotland to win but after this my head is saying it will be Australia in the semi-finals”.
The pair went before the judiciary on Tuesday and were hit with tournament-ending three-week bans following a marathon 10-hour hearing.
In response to the news, Cheika said: “I haven’t seen the incident but I feel for them”.
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At a training session in Guildford, southwest of London on Wednesday (14 October), back rower Strauss said: “Obviously, when I heard it – personally, I can only speak for myself – I was angry, you know”.
