An email sent at the start of last week appears to have made the difference with Garry Ringrose being able to play some part in the remainder of the Six Nations.
The Ireland centre was hit with a three-game ban for his high tackle on Ben Thomas in Ireland's win over Wales in Cardiff last month.
However, with one of those matches chalked off for attending tackle school and Leinster's United Rugby Championship clash with Cardiff on the weekend included in the ban, Ringrose will only miss one of Ireland's remaining two Six Nations fixtures.
READ MORE: Today's rugby news as new trio backed for Wales squad and Scotland stars fear Welsh shock
While the centre will play no part against France this weekend, he will be available against Italy in the final round of the tournament.
His availability for that final match has caused some uproar, with Romain Ntamack having been banned for three matches - also for a high tackle on Thomas - earlier in the tournament.
However, while the France fly-half also had it reduced to two matches through tackle school, he did not have Toulouse's Top 14 clash with Clermont factored in - meaning he missed two Six Nations fixtures.
However, the answer does appear to lie in the judicial hearings of both decisions, with an email sent by Ireland two days after the Wales game proving crucial.
At Ringrose's hearing, Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby explained that, given they had three world-class centres in Ringrose, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw, they wanted him to play against Cardiff to get more minutes after having limited game time in the Six Nations.
"As such, the decision had been made to release the player to Leinster to allow him to get game time before the Ireland v France match, in which he would have been expected to feature but for this red cards," read the finding from the hearing. "In addition, Simon Easterby explained that part of the reason for releasing the player to Leinster was to allow him the chance to play in a different position in order that Ireland can consider using the player on the wing as well as in the centre."
Crucially, the panel were shown an email sent on Monday, February 24 from the IRFU to Leinster, explaining that he would be released back to his region.
"Given all of the above, the panel was satisfied that the player had been expected to play at least some part in the match for Leinster against Cardiff and, as such, it is a “meaningful” match under the rules and should count towards the player’s sanction on this occasion," continued the findings of the hearing.
That is in stark contrast to the findings of Ntamack's hearing, which decided that "there is no direct evidence confirming that the player was fit, available and expected to play in that match" against Clermont".
It pointed to evidence given by France head coach Fabien Galthie, who they deemed as having the "ultimate responsibility" to determine which French players could be released to their clubs during the Six Nations.
The findings include quotes from Galthie, who said: "My position with respect to Mr Ntamack is that I had not yet decided which players were to be designated for the first fallow week and would have reserved my final judgment until after the England game on 8 February 2025.
"Mr Ntamack is an exceptional fly-half with 38 caps for France. It is very likely that I would have selected him to play against England on 8 February 2025.
"Typically, I will designate the best available players in the squad having regard to how many matches they have played so far and the importance of the upcoming matches and any tactical considerations for those next matches."
The France coach added that "there can occasionally be a balance to be struck between designating a player and protecting them from fatigue and potential injury, versus not designating a player and allowing them to play for their club so that they can continue to develop physical fitness and mental sharpness…. flyhalves, in particular, need regular game time to maintain (or regain) their talents for reading the pitch and managing the flow of the game".
Galthie also noted that "with two very difficult games (versus Ireland then Scotland) to finish the Six Nations 2025, and potentially decide the winner, Mr Ntamack may have benefited from further game time for Toulouse against high quality opposition (Clermont)."
"In 2023 Six Nations Tournament, Mr Ntamack started all five fixtures and was designated (which meant he would not be released back to his club) for both fallow weeks. Ultimately, I accept that Mr Ntamack at his best is a very important and influential player for France, he was designated in the Six Nations 2023, and he might seem an obvious choice for designation in this tournament.
"However, Mr Ntamack has also missed a significant amount of rugby through injury over the past two seasons and it is difficult for me to assess his current level of performance at international level based on just the Wales game." (see 27)
"My decision to designate Mr Ntamack for the first fallow week, or to make him available to Toulouse, would have been influenced by Mr Ntamack's performance versus England on 8 February 2025, as it is the case for all players.
"It is therefore difficult to be categoric after the first game in the tournament as to which players are ultimately to be designated, such decision being made, in so far as the first fallow week is concerned, after the second game."
Galthie's evidence was provided after the England game in the second round of the tournament, with the disciplinary committee ultimately not satisfied that the player would have been "fit, available and expected to play in the Clermont fixture".
On the evidence provided, they noted that he "may have been available. But he also may not have".
