In the Rugby World Cup final, the All Blacks’ star player received the first-ever red card, leaving New Zealand with a player down just before half time.
Sam Cane was given a red card for a dangerous tackle on Jesse Kriel, which made Sam Warburton wince. Initially, Cane had a yellow card, but it was upgraded to a red card due to the high level of danger in the tackle after a TMO review.
At half-time, New Zealand trailed by six points (12-6), facing a challenging second half with only 14 players.
New Zealand’s head coach, Ian Foster, will need to manage the rest of the match with one player less against the three-time Webb Ellis Cup winners. Nevertheless, the decision to send Cane off was widely supported, with most pundits considering it the correct call.
Andrew Mehrtens, speaking on BBC Radio 5 LIVE, mentioned that although there were some factors to consider, when viewed in slow motion, it clearly warranted a red card.
Warburton, in the ITV commentary booth, visibly reacted to the incident, suggesting that a yellow card might be upgraded. Even Kiwi Sean Fitzpatrick acknowledged that the dismissal was justified when watching the incident in real-time, although he emphasized the need to move on.
Before half-time, All Blacks center Rieko Ioane almost scored the first try of the game, but Cheslin Kolbe’s exceptional covering tackle prevented him from doing so. Up to that point, Handre Pollard and Richie Mo’unga had been the only players to score, thanks to several penalties in the intense match.
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