'I don't see Tom Wood as a dirty player necessarily': Leinster react to incident with van der Flier
Leinster boss Leo Cullen has refused to criticise referee Pierre Brousset and his team of officials after Northampton’s Tom Wood escaped punishment in Dublin for an awkward-looking breakdown clearout of Josh van der Flier.
The Irish province won the round two Champions Cup clash by 35-19 and the main talking point in the aftermath of a messy match was the second-half hit by Wood on van der Flier as the Leinster flanker protected ruck ball.
Watching the game live in the stadium, it appeared as it Wood had illegally made contact with the head of van der Flier. However, French referee Brousset and his TMO Olly Hodges reviewed the footage and concluded there was nothing wrong.
It was a decision that took those watching by surprise – but Leinster boss Cullen diplomatically refused to cause a fuss in the aftermath.
“It has been checked that incident,” he said. “The officials have gone and checked it. It is different if the incident hasn’t been checked, so they have checked it and they have made a decision.
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“I haven’t looked at it since the game. I looked at it briefly in the moment. They deemed there is a wrap there from Tom Wood. I don’t see Tom Wood as a dirty player necessarily and it has been checked by the officials. That is all you can really ask for, that they are being checked.
“I’ll have to have a look at it again. Again, decision made, Josh is up and about. We had other things we were worrying about up here (in the coaches’ box) at that point of time.
“Decisions get made. We go through due process after every game. We will go through the appropriate channels and we will always ask questions. Every game we will always put in some sort of feedback to referees and ask questions, what is the situation with this, this and this? That is what we will do again as normal.”
Leinster, who were 14 points up early on, found themselves relying on two last-quarter penalties to stem an unexpected Northampton resurgence in a niggly game affected by a swirling wind. Cullen lost Caelan Doris on the morning of the game, Harry Byrne in the Leinster warm-up, Jimmy O’Brien to HIA and Garry Ringrose to bangs to the ribs either side of passing his HIA.
“There was a lot in the game, niggly bits. Conditions were very tricky, very windy, so the ball was hanging in the air which was bringing defence onto the attacking team. We had lots of disruption.
“We were a little bit off in terms of some of our contacts in defence which gives Northampton go forward and we make hard work of some of our exits. It was a messy game. Even when we scored on half-time, scored after half time, we gave away another try for the charge down. It was back and forth, very messy from both teams overall.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
The Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to comments