Fiji Coach Suggests ‘Green Jersey’ Influenced Prendergast Yellow Card Decision

Sam Prendergast received a sin bin sanction in the 8th minute of Ireland’s victory over Fiji. Fiji head coach Mick Byrne expressed his belief that Ireland benefited from preferential officiating during his side’s 52-17 defeat at the Aviva Stadium. Referee Hollie Davidson sent Ireland’s starting fly-half, Sam Prendergast, to the sin bin after his shoulder made contact with the head of Fiji back-row Kitione Salawa. The incident was reviewed in the TMO bunker by Andrew McMenemy, but the decision was taken not to upgrade the yellow card to a red. “I think he was wearing a green jersey so it stayed yellow,” said Byrne. In contrast, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell described Prendergast’s yellow card as “harsh enough”. “Ah, I get why it is but for me he turned his back and it’s harsh enough,” he said. “I don’t know, I’ll have to have a look at it again but that’s the game, isn’t it?” With Fiji having been penalised 17 times to Ireland’s eight across the game, Byrne felt the 50-50 decisions went against his side. “They’re probably on us, they’re definitely on us,” he added. “Sometimes with our enthusiasm to get the job done, especially early on, we came in from the side of the ruck a couple of times to try and put pressure on. “At the end of the day, it’s on us, we need to get better and it’s not on the referee.” Byrne also commented on a specific play: “That last try [by Ronan Kelleher], if you have another look at it, the green jersey holding on to the white jersey, nothing happens at TMO – I’m sure if it was the other way around, we might not have got that try allowed.”