Saracens second row Maro Itoje has avoided a ban for the last two games of the regular season of the Premiership for his tackle on Alfie Barbeary in the Londoners’ win against Bath last Friday.
Itoje was shown yellow in the match but a review from the citing officer appointed to the match deemed the high shot to be a red card offence.
Had the citing been upheld he would’ve been set to miss matches against Bristol Bears and Sale Sharks, away and home respectively, and would have had a month out of action by the time he returned if Saracens ultimately made the top four.
But referee Luke Pearce’s decision and reasoning to only give a yellow card was upheld by panel chair Phillip Evans KC, and Itoje will be available for his club’s next fixture.
“The panel heard and considered evidence from Maro Itoje and the Bath player and were able to examine the footage of the incident many times and from many different angles,” Evans said.
“In particular, the panel watched the footage from the rear view of Itoje which, when considered alongside the rest of the footage, demonstrated it was more likely than not that contact was not initially with the head or simultaneously with the head and the body.
“Instead, contact with the head appears to come later and can properly be described as more glancing than direct in nature.
“In all of the circumstances, the panel did not conclude that a high degree of danger was created and therefore the on-field decision stands.
“The player is free to play with immediate effect.”
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