SA rugby must stop being ‘Mr nice guy’

Bismarck du Plessis of South Africa (R) is yellow-carded by referee Romain Poite (L) during the Rugby Championship Test rugby union match between the New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa at Eden Park in Auckland on September 14, 2013. AFP PHOTO / Michael Bradley

Bismarck du Plessis of South Africa (R) is yellow-carded by referee Romain Poite (L) during the Rugby Championship Test rugby union match between the New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa at Eden Park in Auckland on September 14, 2013. AFP PHOTO / Michael Bradley

Published Sep 17, 2013

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The joke going around the cyber world about Romain Poite goes like this: “If Romain Poite and Bryce Lawrence were drowning and you only had time to save one, what type of sandwich would you make?”

Another is that Poite is the president of the Dan Carter Fan Club.

And now there is a petition on Facebook about Poite, entitled “Petition To Stop Romain Poite Ever Reffing A Rugby Game Again”. It has around 54 000 “likes”, and it is sure to grow now that Sanzar removed Bismarck du Plessis’s red card from his record yesterday due to the erroneous first yellow card from Poite for the tackle on Carter.

But this is no joke. In fact, the joke should be on Poite and the IRB. Why was Poite appointed for such a big match, especially after he blew the Boks to pieces at the breakdowns in the Nelspruit Test against Scotland in June?

Sanzar chief executive Greg Peters said on Twitter yesterday that a neutral ref has to be in charge, so that would’ve ruled out many top officials such as Craig Joubert, Jaco Peyper and even Steve Walsh, who is based in Australia now but is a New Zealander.

The experienced Alain Rolland from Ireland is out of action with a hamstring injury too. Last week another Irish ref, George Clancy, replaced Rolland and was largely efficient in his handling of the Bok-Wallabies Test in Brisbane. But I feel that the IRB could’ve avoided Poite’s appointment for the blockbuster Eden Park Test, as the highly capable Nigel Owens from Wales was available to do the game.

Instead, Owens was dispatched to Perth to handle the Australia-Argentina Test at the weekend. Surely he should’ve been in charge of the Auckland Test due to his considerable experience rather than Poite, who could’ve done the Wallabies Test?

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer and captain Jean de Villiers have shown commendable restraint in the aftermath of the “Poite Test”, refusing to criticise the Frenchman’s officiating in the Bismarck incident. But for how long must the tide go against South African players in Super Rugby and Test matches before there is a full-on protest?

There was a protest of some sorts during the 2009 British and Irish Lions series involving Bakkies Botha, where the Boks wore armbands stating “Justice 4 Bakkies” following Botha’s citing for a fair clean-out of Lions prop Adam Jones at a ruck.

But Poite’s banishment of Bismarck last week was extremely bad, especially as the ref could see the incident on the big screen himself.

If you listen carefully to Poite, he didn’t ask the TMO George Ayoub (from Australia) for any advice on the Bismarck tackle, but rather just for any foul play after the incident. He told De Villiers that he already had a decision on the tackle, which he said was high and that Bismarck didn’t use any arms, and only the shoulder.

Bismarck squealed “High!” in disbelief.

Now this may sound naive or radical, but enough is enough – De Villiers should’ve taken the Boks and walked off the field in protest.

I know that it is easier said than done, but the time for being the “nice guy” is over. South African rugby players have drawn the short end of the stick for way too long and something needs to be done to stop it from happening again.

Saru would obviously follow the correct procedures in trying to deal with this issue, but it is clear that match officials continue to make too many blatant mistakes when South African players are involved.

At least the IRB acted swiftly for once in dealing with Poite’s blunder, reviewing and denouncing his mistake the day after the match. Such decisive action should be the norm, and not the exception.

It was pleasing to hear Saru deputy president Mark Alexander criticise the yellow cards on Sunday upon the Boks’ arrival in Johannesburg, adding that chief executive Jurie Roux had communicated with the IRB on the matter.

Just one final word on Poite: How could he allow his assistant referee and fellow Frenchman Jerome Garces to speak to him in French when discussing Ma’a Nonu’s late tackle and shoulder charge on De Villiers? A television audience of millions was listening, and I believe all Test match officials’ conversations should be in English. This is the Rugby Championship, not the French Top 14.

Be warned – Garces is the man with the whistle for the Bok Test against the Wallabies at Newlands next Saturday!

TWEET OF THE WEEK

@roblouw6: When Butch had a tackling problem wasn’t that rectified by us I think Maa Nonu has a giant problem Sansar or IRB not sorted this out ?citing

WHO TO FOLLOW

@TazzFuzani: The UWC lock impressed in his Western Province Currie Cup debut against the Blue Bulls.

w Follow Ashfak Mohamed on Twitter: @ashfakmohamed

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