England captain Owen Farrell has once again come under heavy criticism for a no-arms tackle during his return from a long-term injury for Saracens against Bristol Bears this weekend.
Farrell made his return from a four-month injury which forced him to miss the entire Six Nations in Saracens’ narrow win over Bristol in the English Premiership on Saturday.
The 30-year-old has tended to push the boundary of the law when it comes to his tackling technique and was at it again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Four months out. First game back.
It’s now beyond a joke.
pic.twitter.com/EAjmv3mFgt— Ruck ’n’ Roll (@RnRRugby) March 27, 2022
During the second half of the match, Farrell appeared to drive into Bristol centre Piers O’Conor using only his shoulder, without the use of his arms.
The tackle was reviewed by the TMO, but referee Christophe Ridley said that there was only shoulder-to-shoulder contact and that the tackle was passive, only awarding Bristol a penalty and deciding not to card Farrell.
Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
