The hangover from the English defeat last Saturday against Wales (40-24) in the third day of the Six Nations is being long. And for some, also unpleasant.
This is the case of the English pilot Ellis Genge, who has received death threats after the broadcast of a video in which it is appreciated how he does not applaud the Welsh team in the traditional hall at the end of the game.
“I don’t know why I didn’t applaud in that corridor, I was surely deep in my thoughts, with all due respect for the Welsh. As for the ‘keyboard warriors’ who send those death threats.” Genge said Monday in a post on his Twitter account.
He had attached a GIF of the UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov with the message “send me your location.”
Don’t know why I’m not clapping in that tunnel must be deep in thought, utmost respect for the Welsh 🌼 as for keyboard warriors sending death threats etc …. pic.twitter.com/qX49P570V2
— Gengey (@EllisGenge) February 28, 2021
The threats to Genge were censored by the RFU, the English Federation, in a statement that read: “Respect is a fundamental value of rugby. We lost against Wales, who deserved the victory. Unfortunately, some of the reactions on social media towards the players and the coaching team do not show the level of respect that the rugby community prides itself on. We will once again support our team against online abuse and hope that true rugby fans will be with us.”
Gauzère admits errors in arbitration
Another dust cloud has raised the refereeing of the party, in charge of Pascal Gauzère. The French admitted two controversial trials from the Welsh.
The first, authorizing the Welsh to play the ball when he had previously asked Owen Farrell, the English captain, to speak with his teammates to stop the string of infractions they were committing; the second, after a play in which a possible Rees-Zammit advance could be seen, which both Gauzère and his video assistant did not consider such.
According to the head of World Rugby refereeing, Joël Jutge, to Olympic noon Gauzère acknowledged both errors in the telephone conversation they had after the crash.
“It is important to be transparent with mistakes. Pascal continues to be an excellent international referee,” he said. The Frenchman will referee Scotland-Italy on matchday four as the previously appointed South African Jaco Peyper cannot leave South Africa due to sanitary restrictions.