ED Cutting faced the dismissive finger of a referee for the first time in his 25-year rugby union career yesterday - and immediately said his sending off was a case of mistaken identity.
For the sake of Hong Kong rugby, let's hope that the Union's disciplinary committee will see it that way, otherwise it raises the interesting poser of whether at a time like this - when the local game needs every man - the Union can afford to ban a player, especially a prop forward? Hong Kong Football Club prop Cutting was sent off by referee Bill Coalter in the second half of yesterday's game between Club White and Valley Red, which the latter won comfortably by a score of 41-12 with backs Isi Tu'ivai, Ashley Billington and Troy Sing all collecting a brace of tries.
Cutting was dismissed for allegedly kicking Valley captain Tu'ivai. 'He claims I kicked him. I did not do any such thing,' said Cutting, a former Hong Kong international.
With Hong Kong rugby searching high and low for players to prop up the revised 11-team split-strength First Division, one wonders if the disciplinary committee will mete out a sentence. The minimum for a case like this is six weeks.
With clubs struggling to find front rowers, a disciplinary ban at this moment of time, would be tantamount to throwing the baby out with the water. A tough one for the Union to ponder - if Cutting is found guilty as accused.
A thin blue line of Police Wanderers bravely held Valley Blacks to just one try by half-time, before the League leaders cut loose in the second half to finish with a 36-12 win.
