Castres-Stade Toulousain: “Scandal”, “shame”, “dishonesty”… Santiago Arata’s yellow card is controversial, the referee’s decision makes people cringe

Certainly the turning point of the match. There were only around twenty minutes left on the scoreboard and the locals were leading by one point (22-21) when Jérémy Rozier, the referee of the long-awaited derby between Castres Olympique and Stade Toulousain, decided to use video refereeing, then to sanction Santiago Arata, the CO scrum half, with a yellow card. A decision with serious consequences because the visitors then regained the advantage in the score, and Castres never managed to come back (25-42 final score).

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“For me, I have an unfair play on the red 12 of the white 9” first indicated the referee of the match, Jérémy Rozier, when calling for video refereeing, after the sun of Santiago Chocobares following contact with Santiago Arata. “The red 12 clearly jumps above the 9, who is in a credible tackling position. He engages both arms, he is at horizontal height and because of the jump, he is forced to get up” says the referee during the first viewing of the slow motion.

“A tackle by reversal”

But his assistants do not agree. “Before contact, for me, the red 12 no longer has his feet on the ground” adds Rozier. “He has one foot on the ground, I don’t see any foul play in this action” the video referee replies. The field referee, for his part, remains convinced that “the red 12 jumps over the defender” and then adds that he does not see “any foul play” because “the 9 is very well placed to tackle”. The referees finally agree: Santiago Chocobares’ right foot is on the ground when his Argentine compatriot initiates the tackle and the fact that the latter then gets up adds a spectacular side to the action.

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“I still see this action of wanting to go over it. I can’t hide it so it will be a yellow card” then announces Jérémy Rozier before communicating his decision to those involved in the match. “The 9 gets up, so he is in a position to unbalance the opponent. It is a reversal tackle. However, the 12 has an action of going over, so it will be yellow card” launches the 35-year-old man, to the boos of the Pierre-Fabre stadium. This decision quickly caused an outcry on social networks.

Dusautoir does not understand

“The crazy scandal, it’s just Choco’s fault” launched an Internet user who evokes “in-house arbitration” and “a 4k theft”. Another believes that “the refereeing body offers the match” to Toulouse. “Shame” writes one X account, “dishonesty” castigates another. “But how can the video referee have so much impact on the decision” asks an Internet user. “I am for Toulouse but I admit that yellow is incomprehensible” comments Nathan.

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Asked about the subject on the Canal Rugby Club set, Thierry Dusautoir, Stade Toulousain legend, said: “I don’t understand the reasoning. I have the impression that he jumps. If he jumps, it’s a penalty against Chocobares. If he doesn’t jump, it’s a tackle which is worth a red. I don’t understand the mitigating circumstance which leads to the yellow.” Nans Ducuing thinks no less: “For me, he takes an impulse, he jumps, which is forbidden. If I had to get wet, I would say that it would have been a penalty against Chocobares because we see that he takes support to go over. Arata is still very low, he is going to do the action of circling but it is very difficult for him because his legs tip over. It is the player alone who puts himself in danger alone. I am not OK.”