Leicester Tigers’ wing, Chris Ashton, has had his red card overturned and will now be eligible to play in Sunday’s Premiership semi-final against Sale.
The 36-year-old, who is a former England player, was initially sent off in Tigers’ last regular season game for a high tackle on Harlequins wing, Cadan Murley.
However, following a lengthy five-hour hearing, a disciplinary committee from the Rugby Football Union decided to downgrade Ashton’s red card to a yellow.
This decision comes as Ashton recently announced his retirement, but now he has the opportunity to participate in two additional matches.
Earlier this week, Richard Wigglesworth said: “We will contest it and if it gets turned around he will be available [to play].
“There were mitigating factors in the tackle with the slipping and the dipping and the mitigating factors are why we think it is a yellow and not a red.
“I am not calling anything dodgy, I know referees have a difficult job,” added Tigers’ soon-to-be England attack coach.
If Ashton’s red card is upheld, he will likely miss the playoffs, and this would be his last professional rugby union match as he retires.
Following Ashton’s tackle, Joe Marler was furious and had to be restrained.
INCIDENT:
SOCIAL REACTION:
One fan wrote: “To paraphrase Malcolm in Macbeth ‘nothing defined his career like the leaving of it….'”
A second commented: “Chris Ashton‘s last act in professional rugby before he retires is a red card tackle for Leicester Tigers in the last game of the regular season banning him for a potential final..”
Another said: “That would be such an unfortunate way to end off an incredible career like his.”
Fans rank the 5 most overrated rugby players of the professional era
The labels ‘overrated’ and ‘underrated’ in rugby discussions are highly charged because they extend beyond the players’ on-field abilities.
These labels are based on the amount of fan adoration, leading to the possibility of exceptional players being branded as overrated and average players as underrated.
This judgment has nothing to do with the players themselves as they cannot control how fans hype them on social media beyond their actual performances.
Although examining the ‘most overrated rugby players in history’ is a contentious issue, we are not deterred from doing so. Our focus is on the fans, as the voters at thetoptens.com have expressed their opinions.
Most overrated rugby players ever:
#5. George North (Wales)
One fan wrote: “He had a few good years between 2011-2013 and then he has died down. Hasn’t looked good as the commentary teams make him out to be.”
Another commented: “George bloody North!”
A third said: “I think it’s important to separate the player he was back in 2013, with the player he became once injury and loss of form hit. Definitely overrated though, but I think that’s the media’s fault.”
