EXCLUSIVE: Rugby legends dumbfounded by Owen Farrell's escape from 'cut-and-dry' ban

Two Wallabies greats have been left bemused by a judiciary panel's decision to let Owen Farrell get away with a \.

The England captain's well-document tackle on Wales replacement flanks Taine Basham wound up with Farrell escaping sanction.

That's despite Farrell's initial yellow card being upgraded to red in the eight-minute review window by match review officials.

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The decision not to sanction the veteran fly-half received widespread criticism. 

Such was the response that World Rugby confirmed its intention to appeal the call, which was made by an all-Australian panel.

Speaking on the latest Rugby Heaven episode just hours before the response from World Rugby, two Wallabies greats expressed their sheer disbelief in the decision.

"I would have thought it was a cut-and-dry six weeks," said former Wallabies vice-captain Morgan Turinui. 

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"I didn't see enough of a dip to make it a legal-level tackle. I didn't see enough change of direction from what the judiciary panel has said. 

"There's not enough, and he's coming up and out, not enough dip."

The call comes at a time where there is intense scrutiny around rugby and its treatment of head injuries. 

More than 200 players have brought a lawsuit against the rugby unions of England and Wales as well as World Rugby.

There have been noticeable improvements in treatment of players who suffer head injuries, but instances like Farrell's seemingly fly in the face of that progress.

"It's very difficult to stand in front of a group of international quality players, professional athletes and coaches, and say 'We have a sanctioned pathway designed to change player behaviour and change coaches as well, we want to influence the result of the game, therefore red, yellow, all that sort of stuff' and then they do that," said Justin Harrison.

"A player with track record, a player with well-documented history of executing poorly under pressure. Not enough mitigation, to your point, to justify walking right back from, a red, a lock red, that was analysed in the bunker system over there that they've got that we had in Super Rugby. As analysed by experts and judged to be a red card. To walk back from that, I tell you what, the (KC) that was employed by Owen Farrell, I reckon Donald Trump is on the phone to him. He's that good."

Farrell's great escape came with social media commentary surrounding former All Blacks centre George Moala's tip tackle on a Canadian player, prompting suggestions of hypocrisy.

Moala was initially given a 10-match suspension, which was downgraded to five.

Turinui explained that Moala's tackle warranted a greater suspension than Farrell given there was no advantage for Moala whereas it stood to reason that Farrell would have benefited.

"What the world of rugby did well was sanction the tip tackle out of the game. Do you know why they could sanction it out? Because there's no tactical advantage in tip tackles," he said.

"I'll tell you what there is a tactical advantage in, tackling high on the ball and having seconds on the ball to slow defences. 

"Until the way the game is refereed and has laws around it, which takes away the tactical advantage of tackling high, they're not going to be able to sanction their way out of it. 

"This is the issue we get to."

World Rugby is expected to convene this week to discuss the Farrell incident.

England has one more warm-up contest against Fiji on August 27 before their Rugby World Cup campaign begins.