World Rugby launch ‘very severe’ probe after Springboks gamesmanship claims
South Africa have been accused of gamesmanship during their 42-38 defeat to Australia, with World Rugby expected to launch a ‘very serious’ investigation into the ‘farcical’ controversy
Controversy overshadowed the Test match between the Springboks and the Wallabies(Image: Getty)
Former Australia players Michael Hooper and Morgan Turinui believe World Rugby will probe the game between South Africa and the Aussies. Sunday’s chaotic Test clash witnessed Les Kiss’ side claim a stunning 42-38 triumph against a heavily rotated Springboks squad in extraordinary circumstances, with the Perth hosts completing the match with just 11 players remaining on the field.
An incredible final quarter-hour witnessed the Wallabies lose four players to the sin bin, as South Africa closed the deficit from 25 points to merely four in a dramatic comeback. That eventful conclusion was triggered by a bizarre incident on the sideline involving Springboks star Eben Etzebeth, with the lock temporarily leaving the pitch with 67 minutes on the clock.
Earlier in the second half, head coach Rassie Erasmus had completely depleted his bench, leaving him with limited alternatives should another player need replacing.
Etzebeth was at the centre of the ‘farcical’ situation(Image: Stan Sport)
As Etzebeth stood on the sideline after being substituted by Franco Mostert, confusion emerged over whether he was undergoing a head injury assessment (HIA) – which would have made his replacement by Mostert legitimate – or another injury, which wouldn’t permit him to be substituted.
The forward ultimately returned to action, only to be replaced once again by Mostert during the dying moments of the encounter. The incident led to accusations of gamesmanship. And deliberate manipulation of the rules being levelled at Erasmus and his coaching team – charges that the Springboks head coach categorically denied during his post-match press conference, reports the Express.
However, in light of the disconcerting events that transpired in Perth, both Hooper and Turinui anticipate World Rugby will handle the issue with the utmost gravity to prevent a recurrence.
Speaking on the Between Two Posts podcast, host Sean Maloney referred to the incident as “the trigger point” for the match’s tumultuous finale. He stated: “There’s 67 minutes on the clock, Australia up by 25, and then this farcical scene plays out. Hoops, Morgs, run us through it.
“This turned the momentum of the game on its head, this is really crucial. We had a laugh about it, but this is really important in terms of what is about to come.”
Providing his analysis of the situation, Turinui said: “The context is previously, with over half an hour to go, Rassie empties his whole bench, all eight. I love the innovator that is Rassie Erasmus, I love that he tries things. But the other side of the sword to that is you run the risk of this exact thing happening.”
“If you empty your bench, you can only replace front rowers if one of them gets injured, because you have to have a scrum. It’s not one of those three positions, then it can only be because of HIA or blood. So, if one of your players breaks a leg, hurts a shoulder, whatever, you can’t put anyone else back on for that person.
“That’s why the inherent risk of putting all eight on at the same time sits there, and unfortunately for South Africa, that’s what came to fruition.
“It looked like they either thought that Etzebeth had an HIA or tried to say there was an HIA, so they could make that replacement with Mostert going back on.
“I think in the end, Etzebeth said ‘no, I’m not a HIA’ so they couldn’t do it. Whatever actually happened in and around who decided it was a HIA, what the miscommunication was, there will be a very serious investigation by World Rugby into this.
“If you risk it all with your eight bench and your player gets injured, you should be finishing that match at 14 men.”
Hooper agreed, stating: “There were reports that the South African trainer had ‘HIA’ written down, so that means that a player needs to be removed from the field and complete the HIA assessment. But then it was, no he doesn’t have a HIA and they were talking about the substitution.
“It was farcical, it was an absolute mess. I don’t like the fact that – and we’ll find out and that’s the great thing about the investigation – if you’re trying to bend the rules around safety, trying to use the HIA as a way to cover up a potential mishap with how you’ve rolled out the bench, I think that that’s got to be looked into very seriously.
“I think this is probably going to be a bit of a line in the sand and the clarity needs to be shored up so this doesn’t happen again and doesn’t take away from the spectacle.”
Following the match, Erasmus dismissed allegations of attempting to exploit the rules. He stated: “Eben had a shot against the neck and I thought he was going for HIA. We don’t control that from a coach’s box, what he’s going for.
He added: “So when the doctor told me he got a knock against the neck, I thought he was going for HIA, and I think that’s where the confusion is. I think he wasn’t marked as HIA; he was marked as injured. Then, obviously, you can’t put another player on.
“So there’s also a learning there for the match officials, the fourth and fifth official, and for us, to understand.”
“But he pulled through. He’s a bit stiff and sore in the change room now, but luckily, I don’t think there’s big damage.”
