James Horwill avoids ban but red card remains on record for Super Rugby season

JAMES Horwill has escaped a ban but the Reds have failed in a bid to downgrade the red card that will be a burden on his record for the rest of the season.

Action from the Super Rugby pre season match between the Queensland Reds and the Melbourne Rebels, held at Barlow Park, Cairns. James Horwill. Picture: Brendan Radke.

PACK leader James Horwill has escaped a suspension but the Reds have failed in a bid to downgrade the red card that will be a burden on his record for the rest of the season.

The most important outcome is the long-time Test lock being clear to play at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night when the Queensland forwards have to muscle up against the impressive Western Force pack.

Former All Blacks backrower Adam Thomson is certain to come in to rearm the Reds pack to give it more sting.

The ferocity of the Force effort upfront, even without injured Wallabies flanker Matt Hodgson, bankrolled Sunday’s 25-13 upset of the champion NSW Waratahs in Sydney.

James Horwill copped two yellow cards against the Brumbies.

The ACT Brumbies crossed twice for tries in a 14-0 king-hit when Horwill was in the sin bin for his first breakdown offence in Canberra last Friday night and scored another when he copped his second yellow card in the closing minutes.

“Horwill has a good disciplinary record and the breaches were not of such character, for example foul play, as to require sanction in this case,” SANZAR judicial officer Nicholas Davidson QC after the matter was dealt with at Ballymore on Sunday.

The Reds’ poor discipline put them on the wrong end of a 17-8 penalty count which led to multiple general warnings to the team from referee Angus Gardner that they were in yellow card territory.

New Reds skipper James Slipper said he’d given his team a half-time shot about improving their discipline which is now a must against the Force.

“This is a warning to players and teams that the judiciary regards team warnings as a responsibility for all players to heed,” Davidson said.

“The player knew of the general warning for breaches at the breakdown, then transgressed in the form of a technical infringement. He was off the field when the second general warning was given by the referee for infringing at the maul, but then reoffended upon his return.”

Horwill seemed hard done by when receiving the first yellow card for not rolling away when Brumbies lock Sam Carter had slammed him to the ground from the Reds side of the ruck.

Melbourne Rebels halfback Nick Stirzaker scooted 55m for the winning try against the Crusaders last Friday night but has ended up with a one-match ban.

Davidson found that Stirzaker had been reckless with his stamp to the groin of Crusaders flanker Richie McCaw early in the match.

Originally published as James Horwill avoids ban but red card remains on record for Super Rugby season