Quote: bewareshadows "The grading of contact with a ref is grade C, Wellens was grade B, so even the rules are set up to find one more serious than the other. Hence why grade C carries up to 3 matches, B up to 2.'"
Players can get massive bans for making contact with the ref. Wasn't one player a couple of seasons back given a five match ban for contact with the ref? I don't think that particular offence has anything to do with seriousness in a rugby sense. It is about maintaining authority so really contact with the ref can't be compared to any other offence.
I don't remember seeing the tackle that is being discussed but if the player didn't land on his neck then chances are a ban won't be forthcoming as the player wouldn't have been put in a dangerous position. Obviously it was a risky tackle as a caution wouldn't have been given, especially this season when there have been a fair few bans thrown around the place. But I would much rather have this stricter regime where tackles involving the head and neck are concerned than the weak and highly dangerous version we had up to a couple of seasons ago.