Anyone seen Ashton getting owned in the yawnion by one of the Tuilangi boys...The union press have been going mental about it (probably because Ashton is the current golden boy) and apparently Tuilangi is lucky to get away with a 5 week ban (reduced from 10 on appeal).

Personally, it reminded me of Fielden-Mason - Ashton gives Tuilangi a shove after a late tackle then gets put firmly back in his place.

rlSee about 2.30 onwards in thisrl the (third) punch is an absolute peach

he went looking for more trouble after taking a tackle off the ball, oh boy he got it (and then a cuddle from his team mate after)
five week ban, there is only one game left this season right?

Was that the one who was brought up as a daughter?

An absolutely boneshaking smack on the side of the head. The slow-mo makes it look even worse.

Its a good example of how referees and their assistants work and should work together more often, ok so in replay Ashton doesn't land the punch that the ref assistant thought he saw but actually you can see at normal speed how the TJ from his position thought he saw Ashton raise a punch in retaliation - a fact that the commentators seem to miss.

Its also a great advert for the game of Rugby in both codes, a tough game where refereeing decisions, wrong or right, are accepted without tears, tantrums and mobbing the ref either by players, managers or the baying mob of fanatical (dangerously fanatical) supporters.

More than one game left for him to potentially miss.

That isn't rugby, of either code. Tuilangi should have been off during the game, and got a significant ban.

The op seems to think the attack was justified,says a lot about him.The player should have got a ten game ban carried into next season.

The referee was unsighted given that it happened behind him while play was progressing, his assistant thought he saw retaliation as Ashton was stood behind Tuilangi from his point of view at the moment that Ashton lifts his arm (to defend himself as it transpired), the other assistant had most of the other players between him and the incident - who would make the decision to send the player off ?

If you are suggesting trial by video ref at the scene of the incident then we are straying into (almost) unprecedented territory, the discipline committee made the correct decision in the end and thats how it always will be.

Agreed. How McLaren can call that good officiating is bewildering. It was disgraceful actions, and both the player and the match official should get long bans.

You have just rubber-stamped your classification of School Idiot.

Tuilangi should have been sent off and be looking at a lengthy ban. Stuart Barnes was going nuts about how the ref and touch judge could keep Tuilangi on the pitch. It would appear that the RFU disiciplinary committee is as bizarre as its RFL counterpart when using a shove after a late tackle as mitigating circumstances for assualt. Interesting that a 5 week ban allows Tuilangi to be available for England.

Good. It is better than any self respecting parent justifying what you did.

So as a parent I can handle that childish comment. But as a fellow one, you should be ashamed.

Go back and read what I said and then review the video and consider what the referee and TJ saw in normal speed without the benefit of replays and mock outrage, then consider what the referee did next and the conversation that he had with his assistant.

Then tell me how you would have done it differently given that your back was turned to the incident throughout it.

To be fair to ashton he did much better than fielden. He took 3 good shots and was still on his feet. Fielden wentdown like a sack of S?!t after one blow, and was not the same player for years!!!