Scott Cummings’s sending off in the first half of Scotland’s match against South Africa at Murrayfield on Sunday was met with boos and bemusement.
The Scotland lock became the first home-nations player to be shown a 20-minute red card, the second such card of the day after Fiji’s Semi Radradra was sent off in Cardiff for a high tackle on Wales’ Cameron Winnett.
While Radradra’s moment of foul play was clearly within the red card threshold, even though he was still initially shown yellow on the field by referee Luc Ramos before the decision was upgraded by the bunker, in the case of Cummings there was widespread surprise after his yellow card for a croc roll on Franco Mostert.
Cummings was shown on the big screen landing on Mostert’s lower leg as he cleared out the Springbok lock at a ruck in tandem with Rory Darge in the 11th minute.
Addressing the incident the referee Christophe Ridley, who could be heard over the Murrayfield PA system speaking to the television match official Ian Tempest, said: “He lands on the lower limb so it is foul play, and it meets the yellow card threshold for me, are we in agreement with that? We have a decision, it is foul play, it meets the yellow card threshold so he is going to the sin-bin.”
A few minutes later, before the game was restarted following a Finn Russell penalty, Ridley called the two captains, Sione Tuipulotu and Eben Etzebeth, together.
“I’ve had feedback from the bunker, it’s going to be upgraded to a 20-minute red card,” he said. “It’s high danger and drops on the limb.”
Reacting on TNT Sports, David Flatman said: “The initial hit is Darge on the knee. Cummings does effectively land on Mostert’s right leg at an uncomfortable angle.”
Rory Lawson added: “I see that less as a croc roll and more that he has missed a shot and his weight has ended up off the side. I don’t think he has actually twisted Mostert. But I get it, you have to protect the lower limbs. We have seen a couple of horrendous ones, Rory Darge being one in a club game. But that’s a big blow for Scotland.”
Max Williamson came on in the 32-minute to restore Scotland to a full complement of players but the hosts still trailed 19-9 at the break.
The 20-minute red card is one of several law variations being used during the autumn internationals. It is designed for “technical offences” and allows offending players to be replaced after that 20-minute period. Officials do retain the ability to send players off permanently for foul play that is deemed to be deliberate and dangerous.