Six Nations: Mauvaka cited for yellow card challenge on White

France hooker Peato Mauvaka has been cited for foul play following his off-the-ball challenge on Scotland’s Ben White in Paris on Saturday.

The hosts ran out 35-16 victors at Stade de France to clinch their first Six Nations championship since 2022.

But many were bemused as Mauvaka escaped with a yellow card following an apparent headbutt on the grounded Scottish scrum-half after 20 minutes of a tight first half.

“The decision not to raise it to a red card was because there was not excessive force,” said Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend after the match. “I’m not sure that’s really the criteria for a non-tackle incident.

“It clearly was a non-tackle incident, it was after the whistle. So, if there was head contact and that was intentional, it shouldn’t be anything to do with the force that was involved.

“I feel sorry for Ben White here, because he did nothing. He was first of all pushed to the ground, and a push is nothing in rugby, and then he got collided in the head, so I don’t know how it wasn’t raised to a red card.”

Mauvaka will attend an independent disciplinary hearing on Thursday via video conference.

A three-person panel will examine the case regarding Law 9.12 (A player must not… strike with any part of the arm, shoulder, head or knee(s)).

The incident had been referred by referee Matthew Carley to review officer Ian Tempest to decide whether the sanction should be upgraded to a 20-minute red card, with another player replacing Mauvaka.