Connacht travel to London to face Saracens in Saturday's Champions Cup action knowing that a win is almost essential if they are to maintain their place in the competition past Christmas.
The Westerners fell to a disappointing defeat on home soil to Bordeaux on Friday evening - in reality, it was a battering, with Bordeaux ultimately running out 41-5 victors.
Saracens themselves fell to defeat themselves on the opening weekend - though not as heavy, with the Bulls winning out 27-16 in Pretoria.
This season's Champions Cup format is, admittedly, confusing, but the gist of what round one has thrown up is a pivotal tie for both Connacht and Saracens on Saturday - not only for their respective hopes of progressing, but to ensure that they can get a decent draw in the last 16.
Saracens have been handed a boost, however, with Billy Vunipola seeing his suspension rescinded for a controversial red card in defeat to the Bulls, freeing him up for the game against Connacht.
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Saracens v Connacht: Billy Vunipola red card splits opinion
In the second-half of Saturday's game in Pretoria, Billy Vunipola launched himself into the ruck, appearing to arrive driving with his shoulder, and his dangerous charge ultimately met Bulls number eight Cameron Hanekom.
Red card for Vunipola 🔴
Saracens evening goes from bad to worse as Billy Vunipola is shown the red card after a clear out.#BULvSAR #InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/1lFI02ZCVu— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) December 9, 2023
Vunipola was sent off for the reckless clearout, and faced a disciplinary committee on Tuesday to learn his fate.
The charge against the England backrow was two fold - breaches of Laws 9.11 (striking with hand, arm, elbow, or shoulder), and 9.12 (leading with the elbow or forearm). Both see at least two week bans handed out if the player is deemed guilty, but the red card itself had split opinion on Saturday.
Former England international Andy Goode was among those who did not think Vunipola deserved to be sent off for the offence.
Never a red card for Billy Vunipola, a yellow at best!
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) December 9, 2023
News broke early on Wednesday afternoon that Vunipola had been cleared of both charges and will, as a result, be free to face Connacht in Saturday's pivotal Champions Cup tie.
Vunipola appeared via video link in front of the committee and, though he agreed he had committed an act of foul play, he refuted the red card it earned him.
The committee ultimately agreed - despite accepting that a dangerous act of foul play had made contact to Hanekom's head. An EPCR statement said:
The committee determined that Vunipola had committed an act of foul play.
However, it decided that there was insufficient force in the contact to Hanekom's head to warrant a red card, and the red card was therefore overturned.
Vunipola is free to play immediately, and EPCR has the right to appeal the decision.
With a major push in rugby towards protecting players from contact to the head, combined with the recklessness of Vunipola's attempted clearout, the decision to rescind any potential suspension has garnered some puzzled reaction from rugby fans.
Some were especially confused when comparing Vunipola's rescinded red to the incident which saw Teddy Thomas sent off for La Rochelle against Racing 92 in the Top 14 in recent weeks, or that which saw Sean O'Brien forced off with concussion in Munster's draw against Bayonne.
Dive straight off your feet at someone’s face with a tucked shoulder. Crack on. Even if you hit them in the head and they have to receive medical treatment afterwards, just argue that you could always have hit them harder. The disciplinarians haven’t a clue. https://t.co/7OXzMwRd24
— A-P (@rugby_ap) December 13, 2023
The Vunipola hearing is another example that the disciplinary committees don't really know what they're doing.
A slipped-up seatbelt tackle can get you weeks on the sideline, but feel free to charge from inside your own half to klap a man in the head with your shoulder.— Dylan Jack (@dylmjack) December 13, 2023
It is hard to square Thomas rightly seeing red for indirect head contact on a player stepping, Vunipola’s direct, diving, no arms, and thus always-illegal contact with a static target not being a red and Sean O’Brien being concussed by direct head contact being just a penalty.
— Tim O'Connor (@timoconnorbl) December 13, 2023
Saracens host Connacht at the StoneX Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off at 1pm.
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