We had a refs meeting last week and the speaker said "If you've got to think hard whether it's a red card - it's probably a yellow card offence" which I think is the same thing as OBs "You know instantly if it's a red".
As soon as I saw it live, I knew he was getting a card and thought :noyc:
I agree in general, but not for tip-tackles. We have been conditioned by what has happened previously (playing experience, refereeing experience, what we've seen on TV) that only the very worst tip-tackles get RCed. The IRB has decided otherwise. Therefore for those types of tackles it is RC by default, and only lower sanction if there's enough reason. Old habits die hard, and it will take a while for people to recondition themselves to think "tip=RC".
As an interesting side-point: I started refereeing young, with very little playing experience. My view as an "outsider" in many ways was that tip-tackles are one of the most dangerous things to happen, so I automatically went RC for them. At a disciplinary (prior to IRB directives) I got a RC sufficient verdict, on the basis that he hadn't completely tipped him (both myself and the player admitted the angle was about 45 degrees). My report stressed that there was a drive to the ground with use of the shoulder, this was not disputed. Obviously the decision would be different today.
