“COMMON sense has got to prevail” when considering banning a player for tackling an opponent in the air, insists Worcester Warriors boss Gary Gold.

Bryce Heem has been hit with a two-week suspension after bringing down Willie Le Roux in Warriors’ 40-33 defeat at Wasps last Sunday.

But Gold claimed the collision which resulted in referee Luke Pearce brandishing a red card, was an “accident” as he felt Heem was “blinded” by Wasps outside centre Alapati Leiua who was in his "line of sight”.

Although the RFU’s disciplinary panel admitted Heem was “in part affected by the running line of Wasps’ number 13”, they deemed the challenge “reckless”.

According to Law 10.4(i) set out by World Rugby, “a player must not tackle nor tap, push or pull the foot or feet of an opponent jumping for the ball in a lineout or in open play”.

Gold stressed the importance of safeguarding players and was “really happy” Le Roux was “OK” following the tackle.

But he insisted it was also important to consider whether there was “any intent”.

“The way the law is going now and World Rugby want the game to go there is not much more that I can say,” he said.

“I am really happy that Willie is OK, obviously.

“But I think common sense needs to prevail and see if there is any intent. It was an accident, but it is what it is.

“That’s what World Rugby say is the sanction at the moment, so everybody has done everything by the book, I suppose.”

The ban rules Heem out of Warriors’ trip to Sale Sharks on Friday, April 7 and their home clash against Bath on Saturday, April 15.

Gold added: “We have absolutely got to safeguard the player, I can’t say that in a strong enough way.

“But interestingly enough if two individuals are going up in the air and there is a mid-air collision potentially there could be no sanction.

“I do see people take legs out - that’s ridiculous and that should be sanctioned. But I just think that common sense has got to prevail.

“I am not having a go at anybody as that’s what they (World Rugby) have said.

“But it is quite tricky to know what to tell the players because there was an incident earlier in the game between exactly the same players. Nobody was obstructing Bryce so he could time his jump properly and he won the ball back.

“But I just think in the particular incident (which led to the red card) their 13 was running back and was in Bryce’s line of sight.

“I think Bryce thought he (Leuia) was the one who was going to get the ball as they were both coming from the same direction. He was blinded and could not see Willie.

“But you don’t want to see a player getting injured.”