France hooker Peato Mauvaka has been cited for foul play following an off-the-ball incident involving Scotland’s Ben White in their final Six Nations match.
Mauvaka was shown a yellow card after launching himself head-first into the grounded scrum-half during France’s decisive victory in Paris on Saturday. The incident was reviewed via the bunker system at the time, but the punishment remained a 10-minute spell in the sin-bin.
Despite avoiding a red card during the match, Mauvaka will now face an independent disciplinary hearing on Thursday. The charge relates to striking an opponent with “any part of the arm, shoulder, head, or knee.” If found guilty, he could face further suspension.
The decision not to escalate the punishment on the field left Scotland’s head coach frustrated. Speaking after the match, he questioned why the incident was not deemed serious enough for a red card.
“It clearly was a non-tackle incident, it was after the whistle. So, if there was head contact and that was intentional, it shouldn’t be anything to do with the force that was involved,” he said.
Expressing sympathy for his player, he pointed out that White had been pushed to the ground before being struck. “I feel sorry for Ben White here, because he did nothing. He was first of all pushed to the ground, and a push is nothing in rugby, and then he got collided in the head, so I don’t know how it wasn’t raised to a red card.”
The match itself saw France secure the Six Nations title with a 35-16 victory, despite a determined fightback from Scotland. At the time of the incident, France held a 10-0 lead, but Scotland closed the gap to 16-13 by halftime before the hosts pulled away in the second half.
Disciplinary action in rugby has been a major talking point, with increasing scrutiny on head contact and player safety. The outcome of the hearing could have wider implications, particularly regarding consistency in officiating and the role of the bunker system in reviewing such incidents.
Mauvaka’s case will now be examined to determine whether further sanctions are necessary.
