Queensland Reds star Harry Wilson has blasted referee Brendon Pickerill for his “disrespectful” treatment of teammate Connor Vest after he suffered a fractured neck last Friday in Dunedin.
Wilson also lashed out at the lack of action against the Highlanders for the tackle that resulted in Vest suffering a fracture of his C7 vertebrae.
Vest was sent straight to hospital after an incident in the Reds’ 35-30 loss to the Highlanders and, after initial concerns, was allowed to fly back to Queensland on Sunday for more treatment.
But after no action was taken for what Wilson claimed was a “no-arms” tackle that resulted in the fracture, he was scathing of the referee after Vest walked from the field.
“Rugby has really been big on player welfare and for us there wasn’t much player welfare there with a no-arms tackle to the head. Vesty broke his neck and for me that’s pretty ridiculous,” Wilson said on Monday.
“On top of that as a playing group we were very frustrated with the referee trying to rush him off the field. We thought that was pretty disrespectful for a player who has just broken his neck, trying to rush him off the field as if he’s wasting time.
“That’s why he walked off the field so quickly. He was on the ground for a long time and they had him in all the positions and the external pressure form the ref forced him to walk off. You don’t know what sort of extra damage that could do to someone with a broken neck.”
Wilson said several Reds players went straight to the hospital after the game to check on Vest, concerned about what his family back in Australia was going through.
But the news Vest has avoided surgery was welcome.
“On Friday night we were’t sure,” Wilson said.
“This is a great thing for him and his family, I know how worried they were, being in another country on a hospital bed in not a good way.”
The Reds have to beat the Fijian Drua to make the Super Rugby Pacific finals and will be without co-captain Liam Wright, who dislocated his shoulder against the Highlanders.
“You don’t want to have it any other way. We badly want to play finals footy,” Wilson said.
“There’s no bigger challenge and no better way to show our fight.”
