Wales internationals rip apart contentious yellow card decision when Welsh player 'did everything correctly'

Sanctions for head contact in rugby have been a big talking point over the past few years and this week saw another incident which has provoked debate.

It occurred during the televised Welsh Premiership clash between Swansea and Llandovery at St Helen’s.

With half an hour on the clock, former Ospreys winger Hanno Dirksen, playing in the centre for the All Whites, picked up from a ruck and carried forward.

As he went to ground in a collision with Llandovery flanker Griff Evans, the referee blew up and swiftly delivered his decision.

Speaking to Evans, he said: “He’s slipping quite clearly. You’ve made contact with the head. Because it’s a sudden change of momentum, it’s not going to be a red, it’s a yellow card.”

Evans could be seen shaking his head as he left the field and the sin-binning did seem somewhat questionable as Dirksen had slipped and fallen on to the leg of the Llandovery player.

The incident was then picked up by former Welsh international fly-half Lee Jarvis, who took to Twitter to comment.

He said: “Swansea player slipped to his knees and Llandovery player gets a yellow card for high tackle. Really?

“The Llandovery player set his height for the tackle early and then within a split second that height changed because of the Swansea player slipping.

“That surely has to be accidental with no intent whatsoever and no yellow card in my opinion.

“I’m sure the ref would put his hand up after that one and say he got it that one wrong.”

Long-serving referee Ian Davies added his thoughts, saying: “I would say the tackler is clearly looking to make a legitimate tackle, so not sure what more he is able to do.

“I think everyone agrees we need to eliminate ‘illegitimate’ contact to the head - but we also need to