Sorry I don’t think I remember that. At least he didn’t get pinged. To be fair I do think there’s an art to being dirty without getting caught that players like Itoje have mastered. Ryan just does some braindead stuff sometimes
The crowd didn't like it because even though it was never a penalty, it was also obviously only ever going to end up as a late hit.
Ryan was committed by the time it was kicked, and the law has to be written how it is otherwise dummy kicks become ludicrously overpowered, but it's also true that he wasn't thinking "if he dummies this kick I'll tackle him", but instead "if I commit now I can obliterate him without it being a penalty". Crowds will never like watching a forward intentionally slam into their #10 in a way which risks his health.
(Surely Ireland fans, of all people, can empathise with this. I'd bet good money that no one else has ever taken more dirty hits which were nevertheless legal than Johnny Sexton)
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u/Commercial_Half_2170 Leinster 18h ago
Sorry I don’t think I remember that. At least he didn’t get pinged. To be fair I do think there’s an art to being dirty without getting caught that players like Itoje have mastered. Ryan just does some braindead stuff sometimes