Wales were lucky to finish the game against the Republic of Ireland with 10 men on the pitch.
Ireland will be without their captain for a long time because of a horror tackle. Neil Taylor’s reckless leg-breaker on Seamus Coleman gave the referee no option but to show a straight red card.
It was the type of injury that brought the whole mood down. While before the game, a lot of fans would have been content taking a point off the Welsh, it was difficult to pull oneself from the throes of despair knowing that the Donegal man won’t be seen on the pitch for an extended period.
It’s all his teammates, his replacement and the supporters could think about after the game, but it wasn’t the only foul in the Aviva on Friday night that was deserving of a sending off.
Wales should have already been down a man by the time Taylor was given his marching orders. Their superstar, their talisman, Gareth Bale should have been taken out of the game a few minutes before that.
The Real Madrid star only received a yellow card for his studs-up high tackle that, luckily, only glanced off John O’Shea’s leg. It was dangerous, reckless and it missed the ball entirely. Not only was he lucky to stay on the field, but O’Shea can count his blessings that he didn’t get very badly hurt.
All the replays and images that emerged after the game were fairly damning, and despite this some people came out in defence of Bale. Didi Hamann had the perfect response for anyone who was in denial about the cowardly act.
This is for all the morons trying to tell me that Bale went for the ball.Cowardly. O'Shea can count his lucky stars. https://t.co/JtPx83cFAq
— Didi Hamann (@DietmarHamann) March 24, 2017
When one fan tried to argue that there was no intent behind the nasty tackle, Hamann broke it down in the simplest terms possible.
I hope nobody throws a punch and you accidentally get your head in the way. Never heard bigger bollox, get some sleep my friend https://t.co/AlMsFdaXXW
— Didi Hamann (@DietmarHamann) March 24, 2017
