All Blacks lock Barrett free to play after red card against Springboks

FREE TO PLAY: New Zealand's Scott Barrett leaves the game with a red card. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

New Zealand lock Scott Barrett was cleared to play on Monday after a hearing into his automatic sending off against South Africa in a Rugby World Cup warmup.

A judiciary deemed the red card last Friday at Twickenham as sufficient punishment.

The news would be a relief for the All Blacks, who might have faced France in the World Cup opening game next week in Paris with only two available locks. Brodie Retallick was injured and any sanction for Barrett would have further exposed the All Blacks’ second-row depth.

Barrett was issued a yellow card as a team penalty for persistent fringing against the Springboks in the first 14 minutes. 

Just before halftime, he was yellow-carded again for reckless contact with the head of South Africa hooker Malcolm Marx in a ruck. The two yellows forced him off.

Down 14-0 and a man at the point, the All Blacks couldn’t compete with South Africa and were beaten 35-7, their heaviest defeat ever.

The judiciary decided Barrett’s sending off was enough of a sanction because the first yellow “was for a technical offense following a team warning.” New Zealand meets France on Sept. 8 at Stade de France.