Rugby union risks inheriting soccer-style "simulation" and diving unless something is done to rectify misguided sanctions over punching, says Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill.
The 43-year-old former England hooker was furious when London Irish's Blair Cowan escaped a card or citing after striking the face of Jamie Gibson during Leicester's 22-19 defeat last weekend.
Cockerill sought clarification over the incident from the Rugby Football Union and received an email from RFU head of discipline Gerard McEvilly and citing officer Wade Dooley which stated the offence was worthy of only a penalty.
"In law I am told a punch is down to the referee's interpretation, so the referee will decide whether it is a hard or a soft punch," Cockerill said.
"One of the comments that alarmed me the most is that Gibson didn't need treatment and didn't go to the floor. The encouragement would be that, if you get punched, go to the floor, get treatment and the player will get sent off.
"So now the lawmakers are actually encouraging you to dive. I said that is the thin end of the wedge."
Cockerill, who alongside Graham Rowntree and Darren Garforth formed part of Leicester's fearsome front row known as 'The ABC club' because of the letters on their shirts, played in an era when punching was part and parcel of the game and when the idea of someone diving would have been unimaginable.
However, in recent years some incidents have begun to appear, often in the form of exaggerating impact of injury, and Cockerill is worried that some coaches might start instructing players to milk such situations in a bid to get rivals yellow or red-carded.
"You wouldn't(coach people to fall down), but it's getting to that point," he said. "At the moment the referee is deciding how hard that punch is.
"There is a 50-year-old bloke sat in the TMO (Television match official) caravan outside who dictates whether someone gets hurt when they get punched.
"Well, it didn't really hurt Gibson so it is all right. Well, how do you know? How did you know it has not cracked his cheekbone or cracked his jaw?
"It is pretty subjective. If someone punches me it might hurt, if someone punches you it might not hurt. It is a very dangerous precedent to set."
