Jack Nowell, the Exeter and England wing, is facing the prospect of disciplinary action from the Rugby Football Union for his outburst on Twitter during the Chiefs’ heavy defeat by Leicester on Sunday as the governing body clamps down on criticism of the game’s officials.
His Test colleague Ellis Genge, meanwhile, has been cited after the most recent round of Premiership action for a dangerous tackle and could miss the start of England’s World Cup preparations if found guilty at a hearing on Tuesday.
Nowell, who was absent from the Exeter side after picking up a knock in the Champions Cup quarter-final win over the Stormers, was one of several non-playing Chiefs to tweet his feelings after Olly Woodburn was sent off in the 42nd minute at Welford Road, having been shown a second yellow card.
Woodburn’s first yellow was shown for a deliberate knock-on in the first half and he was given his marching orders by the referee, Karl Dickson, for diving on Chris Ashton on the floor early in the second. The Leicester wing was attempting to score in the right-hand corner as he was tackled by Stuart Hogg, with Woodburn diving at Ashton in an effort to force him into touch. Ashton’s foot grazed the touchline before he could score the try so Dickson ruled that a penalty try should be awarded with Woodburn shown another yellow card.
I’m actually in shock, like shock shocked. What the hell is happening? That’s one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen. EVER
— Jack Nowell (@nowellsy15) April 16, 2023
After the match Rob Baxter, the Exeter director of rugby, conceded that he could understand how the officials reached the decision while his opposite number, Richard Wigglesworth, revealed that a specific directive designed to stop the offence in question had been recently issued. Nowell, however, made his views clear, writing: “I’m actually in shock, like shock shocked. What the hell is happening? That’s one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen. EVER.”
Luke Cowan-Dickie, the England and Exeter hooker, added his opinion that “rugby had lost the plot” while the club’s centre Henry Slade announced “I have no words”, but, in criticising the referee’s decision, Nowell is the most in danger of RFU action. In November 2021, Anthony Watson found himself in hot water when airing his views on social media, hitting out at the decision by the referee Ian Tempest to send off his Bath teammate Mike Williams. Watson wrote: “Here we go again. Where is he supposed to wrap?! Obsurd [sic] decision.” He was given a one-week suspended ban for conduct prejudicial to the interest of the game (rule 5.12) by disrespecting the authority of a match official.
The particulars of the offence stated that “the player tweeted criticism of the referee’s decision” to his 53,000-plus followers and, as part of his punishment, Watson also had to deliver a presentation to his teammates and the Bath academy.
Unlike other charges, there is no deadline for the RFU to bring action against Nowell according to rule 5.12. As revealed by the Guardian in September, the RFU is attempting to strictly police abuse of match officials amid growing concerns of an increase in incidents at all levels of the game.
Genge has been cited for a dangerous tackle on Tom Curry in Bristol’s defeat by Sale on Friday night. The loosehead prop, who captained England for the first time during the Six Nations, was shown a yellow card at the time but now faces a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. Genge’s previous record is good so a ban of three weeks, reduced to two by his attendance at tackle school, would rule him out of the remainder of the season but free him up for England’s first World Cup warm-up match against Wales on 5 August. A longer ban would be disruptive for Steve Borthwick, however.
Wigglesworth, meanwhile, has hit out at the criticism directed towards his players after chalking up a sixth victory in a row. Leicester lost three matches on the bounce soon after losing both Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield to England but have won their last six league matches to all but secure their place in the playoffs.
“This group were written off halfway through the season, we lost three Premiership games and it was the biggest story in the world, then we lose away to Leinster in Dublin and it’s the biggest story in rugby again,” said Wigglesworth. “These players have been disrespected this season, unfairly, and nobody has talked about us unless we were losing. Winning six games in a row isn’t a headline but losing a couple is when it comes to Leicester Tigers.
“All that has been talked about in regards to these players this season is what they cannot do, who we don’t have or why we won’t achieve anything. That is undeserved, that is what people want to focus on when they think about Leicester Tigers: the negative.”
