Welsh flanker Tommy Reffell received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle, with TNT Sports opting not to broadcast the replays of the incident.
During a tense moment in the game, Northampton Saints’ number eight Sam Graham was caught in a precarious tackle by Reffell, resulting in what appeared to be severe pain, halting the match as the player writhed on the ground.
Referee Anthony Woodthorpe, noticing the distress of the downed player, immediately stopped play. The distressing scene included Graham’s audible screams picked up by the referee’s microphone.
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Further examination of the match footage revealed Graham’s leg contorting in a disturbingly unnatural manner, causing alarm among viewers and commentators alike.
The commentary team, consisting of Nick Mullins, Austin Healy, and David Flatman, provided their take on the air.
“I just thought it was a hell of an impact there from Tommy Reffell,” Flatman remarked.
“Sam Graham in a lot of pain,” Mullins chimed in.
“Immediately when you see that, you think it’s a massive shoulder impact on his knee. I am really hoping that’s just a horrible dead leg,” Flatman expressed his concern.
“The replay is not a pleasant one, so we are not going to show you it,” Mullins concluded, acknowledging the unsettling nature of the footage.
Referee Woodthorpe explained to Tigers captain Julian Montoya the reason for Reffell’s dismissal. “The tackle is illegal because he’s already on his knees. Tommy, you’re the man who made the tackle. He’s on his knees when he makes his tackle, so it’s an illegal tackle and it’s a dangerous action, so it’s going to be a yellow card. We understand it’s a wrap, but he needs to be on his feet to make the tackle,” he stated.
Despite objections from Reffell, he reluctantly exited the pitch. Healy supported the Welshman’s stance, arguing: “I understand it’s foul play if you are on the floor and you make a tackle – completely fine. But, he wasn’t already on the floor. He went to the floor to make the tackle, that’s not the same,” he said.
Graham was stretchered off the field to applause from the crowd. The Tigers ultimately triumphed in the match with a 24-8 victory.
As of now, the extent of the injury remains unknown. Commenting on the incident, Saints manager Phil Dowson said: “He’s clearly very down, in a lot of pain and on a lot of pain relief. It’s a part of the game, not a nice part of the game.”
“He’s been so good for us and we want to make sure we look after him and get him back up and running as soon as possible.”
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