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Refereeing, head collisions and player safety again made the headlines on the opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup with a number of contentious incidents. The most high-profile came on Saturday when an England player was shown a red card for the fourth time this year, as Tom Curry was sent off early in his side’s win over Argentina, following a head-on-head collision with Juan Cruz Mallia. However, apparent inconsistency among officials irked many, especially on social media, with other incidents of head contact across the weekend not being punished as severely. Later in that same match, Santiago Carreras only received a yellow card despite his leap in attempting to charge down a George Ford kick seeing his hip make contact with the England No 10’s head. During South Africa’s impressive 18-3 win over Scotland, Jesse Kriel’s tackle on Jack Dempsey in which his head clattered into that of his Scottish opponent wasn’t even reviewed by the TMO and hasn’t subsequently been cited, while Chile captain Martin Sigren was only sin-binned despite a head-on-head collision while tackling a Japanese attacker. But what are the laws around head contact and high tackles that referees are following and how do they decide on the punishment? Here’s everything you need to know: What are World Rugby’s laws on head contact? Head-on-head contact in the tackle comes under Law 9 of the Laws of Rugby Union, which covers foul play. Law 9.11 dictates “Players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others, including leading with the elbow or forearm, or jumping into, or over, a tackler” and Law 9.13 goes on to say “A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders.” If a player breaks these laws and the act is deemed to be reckless or dangerous, then the referee is entitled to issue a yellow or red card. World Rugby also clarify the intent of the laws, stating in their guidelines that: “ Player welfare drives World Rugby’s decision making for zero tolerance of foul play, especially where head contact occurs. The focus must be on the actions of those involved, not the injury – the need for an HIA [a Head Injury Assessment] does not necessarily mean that there has been illegal head contact.” What are the punishments for head-on-head contact? Ok, this is where things get technical and debates start to occur. In March 2023, World Rugby issued their latest ‘head contact process law application guidelines’ to guide referees on whether foul play has occurred and how it should be punished. The referee has to go through a four-step process (detailed below) to determine the extent of the foul play and the sanction. The four steps are: Has head contact occurred? Was there any foul play? What was the degree of danger? Is there any mitigation? Step 1 (has head contact occurred?) is relatively straightforward, with head contact including the head and the face as well as the neck and throat area. If any head contact is made at all, we move on to Step 2. Step 2 (was there foul play?) is a touch more complex. The referees are told to consider whether the head contact was either intentional, reckless or avoidable – e.g. the defender is always upright. If it was, the tackler will be penalised and they move on to Step 3. However, if the head contact was deemed not to be foul play, the game continues. Step 3 (what was the degree of danger?) – judged from high to low – determines the initial punishment. A degree of high danger is judged on any of: direct contact rather than indirect, a high-force impact, a lack of control from the tackler, the incident occurring at high speed, the tackler leading with the head/shoulder/elbow/forearm or the tackle being reckless. If the referee judges there to be a high degree of danger, a red card will be shown. Meanwhile, low danger is judged as indirect contact, low force, low speed or no leading head/shoulder/forearm/swinging arm and a yellow card or even just a penalty to the opposition may be awarded. The final step, Step 4 (is there any mitigation?) determines whether the punishment can be reduced by one grade (i.e red card down to yellow card or yellow card down to just a penalty). Mitigation includes a sudden or significant drop in height or change in direction from ball carrier, a late change in dynamics due to another player in the contact area, a clear effort from the tackler to reduce their height or the tackler having no time to adjust. However, mitigation will never apply for intentional or always-illegal acts of foul play. What about the Foul Play Review Officer/Bunker review? Introduced for this World Cup was the Bunker review system. This allows the referee to issue a yellow card to a player, sending them to the sin-bin while play goes on, where a Foul Play Review Official (FPRO) will then take another look at the incident and determine if the yellow card should be upgraded to red, allowing the game to continue rather than a long stoppage to debate this. This is what happened to Curry against Argentina. The referee crosses their arms to indicate a Bunker review will take place. Once a player is in the sin-bin, the FPRO has up to eight minutes to review the decision and decide if it warrants upgrading to a red card. If not, the player will return to the field after their 10 minutes in the sin-bin has elapsed. Read More Tom Curry ban: How many games will England star miss after red card vs Argentina? ‘Ruining this World Cup’: TV presenter slams ‘grotesque’ refereeing as Wales beat Fiji George Ford plays the pragmatist as England finally come to the boil in Marseille cauldron South Africa explain use of signals during Scotland win National anthems are ruining the Rugby World Cup – they must be changed now Tom Curry banned after red card in Rugby World Cup against Argentina

Lewis Ferguson believes Scotland came up against a benchmark England side in their 3-1 defeat at Hampden Park. In a challenge match to commemorate the first official international match between the two countries in 1872, the visitors were a class apart. Goals from Phil Foden, the brilliant Jude Bellingham and skipper Harry Kane sealed a well-deserved victory against the Scots, whose only strike came courtesy of a Harry Maguire own goal. After five straight Euro 2024 qualifying wins, it was a chastening night for Steve Clarke’s side and Ferguson gave due credit to Gareth Southgate’s men. The 24-year-old Bologna midfielder said: “It was tough defeat, a difficult match. They are a top team and so that is the level we want to get to. “In the first half we weren’t quite ourselves. We were better in the second half and got back in the game, but then the third goal kills it off. “You are up against top-level guys playing at the highest possible level. It is good to test ourselves and see where we are as a team. “We have talented players and at the top end of football it is fine margins. “Over the past three or four years we have been improving every time we have come away with the national team, we have been working well and it is a positive place to be at the minute. “We have so many talented, hungry players who want to keep improving and over the last three years we have done that. So the aim is to just to keep improving.” They are a top team and so that is the level we want to get to Scotland's Lewis Ferguson Scotland went into the game on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Cyprus in Larnaca on Friday night. But, in addition to defeat by the Auld Enemy, the Scots suffered further disappointment as the draw they needed between Norway and Georgia to confirm qualification for Euro 2024 failed to materialise. The Norwegians ran out 2-1 winners in Oslo and, with Spain thrashing Cyprus 6-0 to go within six points of leaders Scotland having played a game fewer, there is still all to play for in Group A. Scotland take on Spain away on October 12 before completing their qualification fixtures in November with games against Georgia and Norway. Former Aberdeen playmaker Ferguson said: “The gaffer just said last night was disappointing but that the camp overall was positive. “The main aim was three points in Cyprus, that was the most important game for us. “Ultimately our aim is to qualify for the Euros next year and that was another step in doing so. “We are in a great position. Last night was disappointing, a little set back ,but hopefully we can bounce back from that.” Ferguson did not get off the bench in Larnaca and replaced McGinn with only eight minutes remaining. The former Hamilton player has made just one start in seven appearances and he knows he will have to be patient as he waits for more game time. He said: “I have spoken to the manager. I know I need to be patient and he said I will play minutes for him. “The guys in midfield just now have been incredible in the past year or so, so I just need to be patient and, when I get my chance, take it. “I am always positive and always real. I know where I am at and the lads that are playing – I know where they are at. I need to improve to get to that stage. “It is all about being patient, keep improving every time I come away and hopefully get as many minutes as possible.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football rumours: Martin Odegaard tight lipped about Arsenal contract extension On this day in 2007: McLaren fined £49.2m and stripped of points over ‘spygate’ Andrew Porter says Ireland squad ‘all have the belief’ to win World Cup

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Scotland hosted England in a 150th anniversary of their first-ever meeting; this time around it was the Three Lions who triumphed with a routine and comprehensive 3-1 victory. Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham scored within minutes of each other in the first half, before Harry Maguire turned into his own net to close the gap past the hour mark. Harry Kane wrapped up matters though as England took the bragging rights. Here are the player ratings from Hampden Park. Scotland Angus Gunn - 6. Nothing he could do about either goal, banged past him from close range on both occasions. Massive save from Eze at 2-1 but beaten by Kane one-on-one. Ryan Porteus - 5. Did well in direct duels but struggled to keep pace once England’s runners from deep started showing their movement and ability to swap spaces. Jack Hendry - 7. Important recovery interception to thwart England’s best move on half-hour. Like Porteus, couldn’t get tight enough when the passing started to flow. Kieran Tierney - 6. A few decent moments for Scotland’s attack as he looked to overlap, but couldn’t get close defensively and pulled out of shape for the third in particular. Aaron Hickey - 6. A good outlet at times and looked to be able to beat Tierney at times, but the final pass and cross was lacking. Billy Gilmour - 5. All but ran the game against England a couple of years ago but this time around was swamped in the middle and easily bypassed. Callum McGregor - 6. Hard-working and tried to keep his side moving forward but was also outnumbered and certainly out-passed. Andy Robertson - 4. A nightmare couple of minutes as he played on Marcus Rashford in the build-up to the first then gifted possession inside his own box for 2-0. Caught wrong side of Kane for the third, too, though did deliver the cross for Maguire’s own goal. Scott McTominay - 5. Didn’t offer anywhere near enough, perhaps showing his lack of match fitness. John McGinn - 7. Bustling and energetic, twice going close in the second half with a hammered shot and an attempted header which hit his shoulder. Che Adams - 5. Toiled away without much service in the first half, then when his team tried to push on at the start of the second he was unable to offer hold-up play or movement to aid the attack. Subs: R. Christie 7, L. Dykes 6, L. Ferguson n/a, S. Armstrong n/a. England Aaron Ramsdale - 7. Good footwork for the most part but never really tested as a last line of defence. Kyle Walker - 8. Drilled a half-volley wide in the first half and led the best move on the counter soon after. Definitely tried a shot which turned into an assist for the opener. Marc Guehi - 7. Really solid first half where he made two good interceptions with aerial deliveries and played out nicely. Subbed at the break. Lewis Dunk - 8. Similar to his centre-back partner, was good across the board doing the job which was needed. Kept Che Adams very quiet throughout and made a big block just past the hour mark. Kieran Trippier - 7. Filled in at left-back once more and didn’t get forward to quite as good effect as he can down the right, but ensured the team was balanced and kept possession. Kalvin Phillips - 7. A rare run-out for so many minutes for the Man City man. Technically looked perfectly fine and did his defensive work well for the most part, though some of Scotland’s quicker counters did leave him chasing dust. Declan Rice - 7. Very much stuck to his defensive responsibilities and did them perfectly well. Set a strong platform for the attackers to shine from. Phil Foden - 8. Scored the first and involved in setting up the second. Could have netted earlier too but spooned a shot over, then almost made a third on the brink of half-time. Involved in most of the team’s best work. Jude Bellingham - 9. A hit-and-miss start to the game but was in the right place to lash home England’s second. From that point on he was the best on the park, creative and aggressive throughout and set up Kane with a great turn and through pass. Marcus Rashford - 7. A good outlet in early spells for England but never really had the beating of his man one-on-one or a finishing touch. Really decent link play in quick transitions but a bit lacking inside the box. Harry Kane - 7. A mostly quiet game for the Bayern striker who couldn’t get too involved in most of the best England build-up play. A few dangerous balls from deep or wide, but more would be expected - still found space once, and scored. Subs: H. Maguire 4, E. Eze 6, B. Saka 7, C. Gallagher n/a, C. Wilson n/a. Read More Maguire’s humiliation is complete — Southgate must save him from himself Terrible football or bad luck? Social media debates Harry Maguire’s ongoing struggles Scotland handed lesson on ‘enormous gap’ to England, admits Graeme Souness Bellingham makes centre stage his own as England’s youngest star beats oldest rivals Scotland vs England LIVE: Result and reaction as Kane wraps up Three Lions win England want Newcastle duo amid call-up tug-of-war with Scotland

England were victorious in their heritage match against Scotland to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first game played between the two nations. Gareth Southgate’s men won 3-1 thanks to goals from Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane but it was the goal they conceded that had social media buzzing in the immediate aftermath. With England 2-0 up at half-time came the introduction of Harry Maguire, replacing a solid Marc Guehi in central defence, and after a decent start the former Manchester United captain turned an Andy Robertson ball past of his goalkeeper and into his own net reigniting hopes of a second-half Scottish comeback. Following the own goal, The Independent’s Miguel Delaney posted on X: “Who is more luckless, Harry Maguire or Stephen Kenny? Whatever you think of their abilities, both have suffered some twists that are just down to pure bad fortune.” Such was the debate around Maguire on social media. Is his downward spiral a matter of decling skills or bad luck at the wrong time? Samuel Luckhurst from the Manchester Evening News tweeted: “Maguire is stuck in a neverending cycle of negativity that will only end when he leaves United. Heckled by Arsenal and Scotland fans this month and things have gone wrong for him in both games. He gives opponents hope. Element of lucklessness and carelessness.” His thoughts were echoed by ESPN’s James Olley who wrote: “Maguire’s name cheered by the Scotland fans as he replaces Guehi. Becoming a troubling theme for him - opposing fans did the same thing when he was subbed on for Manchester United at Arsenal. England band respond by singing their Maguire song.” While, talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings said: “Harry Maguire is an absolute calamity. A walking disaster. A punchline. So bereft of any talent or natural intuition about how to defend. “The only good thing that can come from this is that hopefully that OG will finally dispel the myth that ‘Maguire has never let England down.’” Meanwhile, the England manager, already facing criticism for picking Maguire in this September squad when he has hardly played for Manchester United, came to the 30-year-old’s defence in his post match interviews blaming pundits and commentators for the vitriol he’s received. "It’s a consequence of ridiculous treatment of him for a long period of time,” Southgate said when asked about the reception Maguire received from both sets of fans. “It’s a joke, I’ve never known a player treated like he is, not by the Scottish fans, but by our own commentators, pundits, whatever it is, they have created something that is beyond anything I have ever seen. “He has been an absolute stalwart for us in the second most successful English team for decades, he has been an absolutely key part of that. I have talked about the importance of our senior players, he has been crucial amongst that and every time he goes on the field the resilience he shows, the balls he shows is absolutely incredible, so he is a top player and we are all with him.” The Guardian’s Jonathan Liew fired back at the England boss referencing Southgate’s previous defence of Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia by saying: “Wouldn’t it be great if the England manager could defend LGBT rights with the same energy he defends Harry Maguire.” Read More Maguire’s humiliation is complete — Southgate must save him from himself Gareth Southgate says Harry Maguire criticism ‘beyond anything I’ve ever seen’ Gareth Southgate: England over-experimenting in Scotland would be ‘ridiculous’ Rasmus Hojlund fit to make Manchester United debut at Arsenal – Erik ten Hag Gareth Southgate admits Raheem Sterling not happy after England snub Raheem Sterling may have no way back as Gareth Southgate shows his hard edge

Former Scotland midfielder Graeme Souness was unhapp his nation failed to show the level of determination and effort the magnitude of the encounter against England demanded. Speaking on Channel 4 after the Three Lions triumphed 3-1, Souness noted that while the Scots have undoubtedly improved under Steve Clarke, they’ve been shown just how great the distance between themselves and the top nations remains by the ease in which England won. Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored for the visitors, with the hosts unable to create much in the way of attacking chances, with Harry Maguire’s own goal their only consolation. And Clarke’s players needed to produce more to make the atmosphere a hostile one, Souness said, which might have tipped the balance somewhat. “It was a friendly. If nothing else go and empty someone, get the crowd involved. This is a passionate football crowd, and we gave them nothing to shout about tonight,” he said. “I accept that England were fabulous and are a fabulous team but from Scotland’s point of view, they couldn’t get the crowd involved because they didn’t show the required aggression for me. I know it’s a friendly but it’s an England-Scotland game. “They dominated, there was always another gear for them, and I think it was a sobering night for Scotland. They’ve been on a magnificent run but when push comes to shove there’s an enormous gap between where England are and where Scotland are.” Alongside fellow pundits Joe Cole and Jill Scot, both former England internationals, Souness stated his opinion that this squad of players under Gareth Southgate must make good on their potential to win an international tournament. Having made the Euro 2020 final, they’ll hope to go one step further next summer - and all three believe the team has the ability to do so. “England look like a real proper team. I think they can improve on that. They’ve got more attacking options to come on, but England have to be looking to win a trophy now. This is a special group that Gareth Southgate’s got,” Souness added. “This is the golden generation. Forget Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Paul Scholes. England have strength in depth, Jude Bellingham was outstanding tonight. I can remember England winning the World Cup, this is the strongest group I’ve ever seen, and they can only get better. England are destined to get [...] a trophy with this group of players.” Scott agreed they “should have their hands on the trophy”, while Cole pointed to the core group having “40 or 50 caps” by the time they play at the Euros. “In the past there was always something missing, this team ticks every box,” he said. “I think it’s the best England team I’ve seen or played in in my lifetime.” Read More Player ratings as Bellingham stars in England win over Scotland Terrible football or bad luck? Social media debates Harry Maguire’s ongoing struggles Maguire’s humiliation is complete — Southgate must save him from himself Player ratings as Bellingham stars in England win over Scotland Terrible football or bad luck? Social media debates Harry Maguire’s ongoing struggles Maguire’s humiliation is complete — Southgate must save him from himself