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'He knows what he's doing' - Wales flanker red carded for 'stunningly stupid' cheapshot

Taine Basham is sent off.

Dragons flanker Taine Basham found himself in hot water as he was red-carded for a seemingly needless elbow to the back of the head of Leinster flyhalf Ross Byrne.

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The Dragons were hosting Leinster in a Round 5 clash at Rodney Parade and with scoreline favouring Leinster 26-10.

The incident unfolded when Byrne, in the process of clearing the ball into touch, was unexpectedly struck by Basham’s stray elbow in the back of the head, with the Wales flanker making no meaningful attempt to tackle the Irishman.

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The contentious play did not go unnoticed, with the Television Match Official (TMO) Stefano Roscini reviewing the footage before referee Gianluca Gnecchi determined that Basham’s action warranted a red card. The decision left the Dragons with a numerical disadvantage.

Taine Basham
Taine Basham targets Ross Byrne

RTE commentator Donal Lenihan succinctly captured the essence of the incident, stating, “He knows what he’s doing.”

One fan wrote: “That’s a stunningly stupid bit of work from Basham” while another described it as a ‘Brain dead challenge’.

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Dragons second row Matthew Screech was then given a yellow card minutes later for a clumsy headshot.

Dragons RFC: Cai Evans, Rio Dyer, Steff Hughes (CAP), Aneurin Owen, Jared Rosser, Will Reed, Rhodri Williams; Rhodri Jones, Elliot Dee, Lloyd Fairbrother, Matthew Screech, George Nott, Dan Lydiate, Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright

Replacements: James Benjamin, Aki Seiuli, Luke Yendle, Sean Lonsdale, Ryan Woodman, Dane Blacker, Jack Dixon, Ewan Rosser

Leinster: Ciarán Frawley, Tommy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Charlie Ngatai, Jimmy O’Brien, Ross Byrne, Ben Murphy, Jack Boyle, Dan Sheehan (CAP), Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, Jason Jenkins, Ryan Baird, Will Connors, James Culhane

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Replacements: Lee Barron, Paddy McCarthy, Michael Ala’alatoa, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Cormac Foley, Harry Byrne, Rob Russell

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Comments

3 Comments
A
Ace 393 days ago

Taine Basham joins the pantheon of monumentally stupid players.

D
Diarmid 393 days ago

Is there any chance that this kind of technique is contagious? If so, I blame Owen Farrell.

m
mjp89 393 days ago

Video is geolocked.

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T
TT 3 hours ago
France snubbing New Zealand tour shows the difference in priorities

Reading this article is like reading someone having a mental breakdown.


European rugby is in endless bankruptcies,  its national sides in endless RWC failings & some of its clubs are only season to season financial propositions BUT, according to the author’s conspiracies, its New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby that, quote, ‘simply isn’t a competition people should take seriously’ (??!!).


That idea while New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby participant clubs continue to profit after 130+ years (& similar traditional Oz club longevity).


Yet it's NZ/Oz rugby that has the viability problem!???


Reality is difficult for you author. See a doctor. Urgently!


But the author's mad rant continues, with the insistence that the way to fix his conspiracy of a sick  Super Pacific Rugby is for it to let all its top players run away OS (surprise, surprise, to Europe to fix its club rugby) by removing OS restrictions  of its best players.


Hurry call an ambulance for the author.


It's simple, a mass exodus of high skill therefore high entertainment players (will that even happen?? ie again given the increasing European restrictions & financial stress in European clubs) will kill the core business of INTEREST in NZ comps & therefore lose the life blood $ of those same TV rights, sponsorships, gate entry, memberships, merchandise, etc. Mass loss in  audience INTEREST & its resulting $$ loss.


RE the French B team for NZ 2025 tests,


If you wanna see where test rugby could end up as (ie 2nd rate) if it continues to allow the  French mismanagement, look at what ‘Indian club cricket money’ control  is doing to test cricket, ie because of A international test team players contracts with  Indian clubs & their $, those players not available for international tests eg South Africa send a ‘B’ test cricket team to NZ last year, likewise West  Indies send a ‘B’ test cricket team to OZ last year.


Relevance to test  rugby & ABs? 

France's reason for not sending their A team for the AB tests in 2025? Quote, 'resting them (!) for the Top 14 club rugby commitments'.


World Rugby is failing to manage & protect the game again.


France CHOSE to make its extra long Top 14  season & not respect the World rugby international window.


France should be removed from test rugby til they do respect it.


Or test rugby will be like failing test cricket very soon by letting national club $ rule over the international game.


If World Rugby allows the degrading of international game it will degrade audience (therefore ratings ), will degrade the $, hence will degrade the $ to players & rugby generally.


World Rugby, Prioritise the international window OVER national club window.


Especially over (despite all it endless irrational hype) failing European club rugby.

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