Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus wants greater balance and clarity around head-contact decisions after lock Franco Mostert was sent off early in South Africa’s 32-14 win over Italy in Turin.
Mostert received a straight red card in the 11th minute for a dangerous tackle on Paolo Garbisi – the Boks’ second red card in as many weeks for upright collisions involving their towering locks. But while Erasmus stopped short of criticising referee James Doleman, he made it clear the current directive is difficult for players of that size to navigate.
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Erasmus told the media after the Test that the Boks would accept the decision, but admitted the moment stung on a personal level, especially because both cards affected captain Siya Kolisi.
“It is what it is. What I say here doesn’t matter, I’m just very grateful that we had Ben O’ Keeffe on the one AR side and the referee’s experienced. I’m just sad that our captain in his 100th game and his next game, had to sacrifice.”
The Bok coach said he remains in favour of a 20-minute red-card system but emphasised that it’s not his place to dictate the laws.
“I always thought we wanted to get to 20-minute red cards and have a re-check on that. I thought it’s the way to go, but it’s not my place to talk about it.”
He also hinted at inconsistency in how head contacts were handled throughout the match.
“I’m not saying the referee made the wrong call, but I definitely saw a lot of other shots in the game where the first tackle he took was right against the head. It’s tough. I’m not saying anybody was wrong, I just thought the balance on calling the headshots wasn’t as equal.”
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Erasmus said the repeated sending-off of his tallest forwards has created a technical challenge for the Boks – and one without an obvious coaching solution.
“Losing two 5-locks in two games for not going lower than they can, is tough to understand and I’m not saying anyone is wrong by that. We don’t know how to coach guys any different – we’re really in a fix. For a 2-metre guy and a 2.06-metre guy to go lower than a guy on his knees, it’s tough.”
The Springboks now turn their attention to next weekend’s Test against Ireland in Dublin, and will await the outcome of Mostert’s disciplinary process.
Photo: Timothy Rogers/Getty Images
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