France are questioning the need to send off fullback Benjamin Fall following an incident that condemned France to defeat in the second Test against New Zealand.
Coach Jacques Brunel said Fall was the victim of unfortunate timing when he clattered into the legs All Blacks five-eighth Beauden Barrett, who had leapt to field a high ball in the 12th minute.
Barrett’s head-first fall was enough to convince Australian referee Angus Gardner that a red card was the only option.
The 29-year-old from Montpellier could face further sanction when his actions are assessed by a World Rugby judicial committee on Sunday night.
Brunel was proud of his under-manned team’s response in a battling 26-13 loss.
Having launched a critique of disciplinary rulings in the wake of New Zealand’s 52-11 first-Test win, the French coach was more composed when assessing Gardner’s decision.
However, he hinted Fall’s path to the collision point may have been affected when nudged by All Blacks outside centre Anton Lienert-Brown.
“Obviously he was somehow put off balance and in that case it was a yellow. A red, I don’t know,” Brunel said through a translator.
“The important thing is we were prepared for such a case – playing with only 14. We managed the situation very well.”
Brunel had support from All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who said the red card was a “shame” and suggested an NRL-style report system to deal with fouls that are seemingly unintentional.
Disappointed to have conceded the series heading into a third Test in Dunedin, Brunel took satisfaction from his players’ superior fight compared to a week earlier, when their defence evaporated in the final half-hour.
“The team showed a lot of character and fought right to the end,” he said.
“It is clear that we didn’t only defend and that was something we wanted to do – we wanted to push the All Blacks.”