Super Rugby: Was this tackle worthy of a red card?

Scott Higginbotham was dealt a red card in his first game with the Reds. Photo / Sky Sport

In his debut as Queensland Reds captain, Scott Higginbotham missed over 70 minutes of the game after being sent off following a dangerous tackle.

The decision rocked the Reds who went on to lose the match 49-19 to the Melbourne Rebels.

Rebels lock Matt Philip was taking the ball into contact when he was tackled by Higginbotham and another Reds defender.

The Reds skipper was the second to the tackle and went high and lead with his shoulder.

The tackle was sighted at New Zealand referee Brendon Pickerill consulted with his TMO before making the decision to send Higginbotham from the field.

First 💩 call of season. Yellow only surely...but red card for Reds capt Higginbotham. Crazy. No arms, force but not a sendoff #REBvRED

— Jim Tucker (@HulaBulaJim) February 23, 2018

A similar carding was handed down on Blues flanker Antonio Kiri Kiri during their loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin yesterday.

Ten minutes into the second half Kiri Kiri was given a yellow card after he tackled Lima Spopaga high, which turned out to be the turning point of the game.

Following their match in Melbourne last night, Higginbotham said that had been doing similar tackles for years.

"I was just going in for a tackle - a two man tackle, one bloke goes low, one goes high.

"We practise that in preseason, I've been doing it for 12 years," he said.

Former All Blacks hard man and new coach of the Reds, Brad Thorn, said it was a "big call" to send off his captain so early in the match.

Thorn would have been fuming after lock Lukhan Tui followed Higginbotham to the sidelines with a yellow card following a tip-tackle on Will Genia.

While down to 13 men, the Reds conceded three tries in the space of 10 minutes in the thrashing.