Gustard has his say in the Telegraph:

Paul Gustard: Too much media focus on Joe Marler genitals grab - more dangerous incidents got far less coverage
Gustard says more spotlight should have been put on Mohamed Haouas punching Jamie Ritchie or Manu Tuilagi's shoulder charge on George North

By
Kate Rowan
11 March 2020 • 10:00pm

Paul Gustard, Harlequins' head of rugby, believes that there has been too much focus on Joe Marler grabbing Alun Wyn Jones’s genitals in England’s win over Wales on Saturday compared with incidents that put players in more grave physical danger.

Speaking ahead of Harlequins’ Premiership Rugby Cup final date with Sale on Sunday, Gustard initially refused to be drawn on the incident for which Marler faces a disciplinary hearing in Dublin on Thursday.

However, when asked how people from outside rugby would react to Marler’s behaviour, Gustard said he felt that more of a spotlight should have been put on the likes of France prop Mohamed Haouas punching Scottish flanker Jamie Ritchie or England centre Manu Tuilagi’s shoulder charge on Wales’s George North.

“The furore over this incident doesn’t seem to be mirrored in the same amount of media coverage and people talking about the French kid who could have broken someone’s jaw with a punch, or a vicious tackle with no arms, or whatever,” Gustard said.

“That’s the kind of a frustration for me from a different point of view, because the safety of players is paramount.

“I’m a coach, I want all our players available. We don’t want to put people out on the field where they are exposed to injury – someone going up for a high ball, someone getting their foot trod on, that sort of thing. That’s kind of a frustration for me – someone doing a blind punch to a left wing in a ruck seems to be pretty severe to me.”

If Marler is found guilty of “grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals”, he faces a ban with a low-end entry point of 12 weeks. A 12-week ban would see Marler out of action for Harlequins until the final round of Premiership matches in June.

Meanwhile, Marler’s Harlequins team-mate Danny Care was frank as he revealed that he had his privates grabbed on numerous occasions while playing in matches.


“Being in the rugby environment and knowing Joe, I think it’s one of those things that happens a lot,” Care said. “I’ve lost count of the number of people who have touched my genitals in a game of rugby. I don’t see it as a big deal.

“Obviously it’s been blown up because it’s in an international game, England versus Wales, and we haven’t seen that many cases like this before. If Joe Marler’s name is involved, it intensifies because of who he is.”

Marler and Tuilagi will be joined by Courtney Lawes, who was cited for a dangerous tackle on Jones, for Thursday’s hearing.

In better news for Harlequins ahead of the cup final clash, Kyle Sinckler was back in training on Thursday and is in line for selection. New signing Chris Ashton will be unavailable as he is cup-tied.

Who won?

And not a single Welsh citing

Whilst I think what Marler did was idiotic I also think he was charged with the wrong offence. It did not look like he grabbed or squeezed anything. Marler denied the offence but the panel decided they knew better.
He should have been charged with bad sportsmanship which would have led to a much lesser more appropriate ban.
I don’t like the trial by TV element in this. It used to happen a lot in football when the media would pick out some unseen incident and then pronounce that the player “was set for a 12 week ban” or whatever. The subsequent disciplinary panel would feel it’s hand were tied.
AWJ is a fantastic player but he is becoming a bit of a wind up merchant.

Dealing solely with Joe's misdemeanor - what a stupid prat!  He's let his club and supporters down.  It would have been my same response whether it had been 2 days, three weeks - whatever.  There is no defense for stupidity and comparing it with different offenses does not mitigate stupidity.

So is running half way across the pitch and getting involved in pushing and shoving, the fake hard man stuff.

I'd have more respect if it was like the bad old days of actually throwing a punch or 2....

THE CLUB HAS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT REGARDING JOE MARLER'S DISCIPLINARY.

Harlequins notes the disciplinary decision regarding Joe Marler. Whilst not in any way condoning Joe's actions last Saturday we are disappointed at the level of sanction applied, particularly when compared to other disciplinary decisions announced this week. The Club will be making no further comment on the situation and is fully focused on this weekend’s Premiership Rugby Cup Final against Sale Sharks.