Crisis averted for Springboks after Franco Mostert hearing

The death threats finally worked.

Relax. I’m joking.

Just putting this here.. because one day it’ll be your team on the receiving end

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-AvlAPzkSA

Not until officials themselves get yellow or red carded will the game become truly professional. Alternatively, when a civil case is made by the affected sportsman/-woman for loss of income, and harm done to his/her reputation and career. A court case would look at intent to do bodily harm, mitigating conditions, reasonability criteria. In both SA locks’ case the conclusion would favour the “accused and on-field [bundu court style] sentenced” largely. Conversely, the on-field officials would be implicated for NOT using the capacitating means to their disposal (time and greater panel of [perceived] objective adjudicators, and supportive technology). And off-field officials would be implicated for either not seeing what the rest of the world could clearly see, or [wilfully? naively?] misinterpreting or wilfully ignoring the hard evidence. Guilty they will be. Guilty they are. Objective adjudication is a function, not a persona to be protected at all cost. They will one day be replaced by technology. They might as well prolong their utility by making technology their ally.

The ref could have erred on the side of caution and given a yellow with bunker review. Straight red was senseless, and is a risk for the game.

Just send it directly to the bunker and let them decide before you give a straight red, it’s so daft - clearly bent - tackler falling into the tackle due to already being tackled - same as Lood. Send it to the bunker and let them have a closer look. You’ve got a Welsh player CLEARLY kicking at Materas head - with video evidence and he gets off free - THAT is malicious intent, just plain stupid.

Having conducted a detailed review of all available evidence, including all camera angles

The ref should have cited the “balance of probabilities” instead of referring to the tape. That worked in the JH Wessels case.

The problem with reviewing the tape is that it limits the ability for the panel to make arbitrary and/or biased decisions.

Uncommonly sensible from them!

CTE shouldn’t be an occupational hazard but these are simply rugby collisions that are being carded.

If they want player safety, then go all in - height and weight limits per position, mandatory scrum caps, padded body protection, maximum player minutes in any given window etc. BUT PLEASE lay off with the cards!

A smashing weekend of contests ahead and I’m sure the cards will still be the talking point. What an insult to the players.

The right decision in the end, but that doesn’t retrospectively give SA back a man for 70 mins. They managed to win somehow anyway, but should not have been in that position and in a different game that could have been significant, terrible refereeing.

Give the TMO and the relevant officials a 4-5 week ban!

I sincerely hope this is a chastening lesson for card happy foul play review officials. I absolutely agree with head contact protocols but why not allow the tmo’s the time and space to review properly jand upgrade to permanent red with no replacement instead of the ref having to make that decision under crowd and time pressure on the field? ppp

Can I assume the TMO who made the spurious claim that there was head contact will be sanctioned or will there be zero accountability as always?

What can one say. It just shows how wrong some refs get it.

Justice has been done.