Australian referee Angus Gardiner got it wrong when he sent off French fullback Benjamin Fall during his team’s second Test loss to the All Blacks, according to a judicial committee which has dismissed the red card.

Gardiner gave Fall his marching orders early in Saturday’s clash in Wellington after All Blacks five-eighth Beauden Barrett leapt to catch a high ball and landed on his head following a collision with Fall.

Barrett was concussed and lucky to escape other injury, and has already been ruled out of the third Test in Dunedin on Saturday.

A World Rugby judicial committee of three Australians – Adam Casselden SC plus ex-players David Croft and John Langford – was convened.

It has found Fall’s actions were accidental as a collision with All Blacks centre Anton Lienert-Brown had caused him to stumble and change direction as he went to contest the high ball.

They therefore dismissed the red card, which came in a match France lost by only 26-13.

“We did not consider that the player’s actions, in the circumstances of this case, were deliberate or reckless,” the committee said in a statement.

“We did not consider that the player would have foreseen the events which ultimately unfolded and therefore could not have, given the speed of the events and the dynamics at play, taken any preventative steps to avoid the collision with (Barrett).”

The trio were at pains to say they did not blame Gardiner for the incorrect red card.

“It is important to record, that no criticism is made of the referee nor, in our opinion, would any be warranted,” they said.

“Unlike the referee, we had the benefit of all the video footage, which showed various angles of the incident.

Unlike the referee, we had the luxury of time to deliberate and consider, in private, the incident.

“In contrast, the referee was required to make his decision in a matter of minutes in the full gaze of the public and without the benefit of all the relevant material.”

It was the second week in a row, the French suffered from a controversial refereeing decision.

Many felt they were harshly treated when lock Paul Gabrillagues copped a costly yellow card for a high tackle in the first Test loss in Auckland when the contact point appeared to be the shoulder.