Ford and Gray handed 3 week ban by World Rugby

Wright, 47, who won 21 caps for Scotland and also sits on the SRU’s disciplinary panel, was aggrieved after both Jonny Gray and Ross Ford were ruled out of not only their country’s quarter-final against Australia on Sunday, but the remainder of the tournament after being banned for a unsafe tackle in the Dark Blues’ pool win over Samoa.

The bans, which rule out the two players for the rest of the tournament should Scotland beat Australia, have been heavily criticised, with former Scotland worldwide Kenny Logan describing them as a “sick joke”.

The Scottish Rugby Union announced on Thursday morning it was challenging the punishments handed to hooker Ford and lock Gray from dumping Samoan Jack Lam on his head with an illegal two-man tip tackle during last weekend’s 36-33 win over Samoa.

Inevitably, players feel aggrieved for their colleagues when bans are handed out, and they can at times be motivated by a sense of grievance. That’s the most physical South African team I’ve ever played against and the Samoans, while they came out to really play rugby, were very physical, as well. I imagined myself in their shoes and how I would feel if it was me. It motivates me. I want to put in a performance for them if I’m selected.

Scottish Rugby Chief Executive Mark Dodson said: “We hold Ross and Jonny in very high regard and as a result will be launching a robust appeal to challenge their suspensions, which we feel are unduly harsh”.

“We have achieved so much as a group together and we are not going to let anything stand in our way”, he said.

Australian coach Michael Cheika took a pragmatic view of the disciplinary process – something he admitted he wouldn’t have done five years ago – aware that others will complain that the Wallabies have been treated lightly in the case of incidents involving backrows Michael Hooper (one week) and David Pocock (a warning).

The Scottish Daily Mail have reported Peyper’s comments which were included in the 16-page report into the case in which he said: “I can confirm I indeed saw the incident live referred to in the citing complaint”.

“But I’m sorry. Malicious intent is a matter of the mind, so how he can possibly read Pietersen’s mind I don’t know”. “Being a close group of guys we know each other very well”.

Only slightly pointedly, the Edinburgh man insisted: ‘No – because I don’t think any of us are the kind of players who would be looking to do dirty things. They are both mature enough to know there’s no point sulking. “So you’ve got to be aggressive but have a sensible head and realise it’s not always the answer”. You have to play rugby in a different way. We have two sessions today so they will maybe do one of the two. “We need to go out and do it for the boys this weekend”. They are great at the breakdown.

“Is it because they haven’t got the better lawyers?” he asked.