The Springboks are feeling the heat of refereeing decisions, with assistant coach Mzwandile Stick expressing frustration ahead of their crucial match against Ireland. The team has been hit with a string of red cards, leaving them disheartened and questioning the consistency of the rulings.
Last week, the Boks faced a double blow with lock Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager receiving direct red cards for high tackles. This followed the five-match suspension and dangerous tip foul of Makazole Mapimpi, and the nine-game suspension for Jan-Hendrik Wessels' groin grab. De Jager has appealed his suspension, which will be heard this week.
Stick highlighted the unfairness of the situation, stating, 'As a team, we are just disappointed with how things are flowing at the moment. We are losing players every week.' The build-up to the Italy game was positive, but the outcome was devastating. Stick argued that if Franco had received a red card, there should have been five red cards in total, considering the actions of other players in similar situations.
'But all of a sudden, it is other situations, and they become yellow cards,' he said. 'We are just disappointed with the way things are being handled at the moment.' Stick emphasized that both Franco and Lood followed the rules, and the issue may lie in the interpretation of the tackle's intent. He added, 'It was probably just the conduct that was here [indicating to his shoulder and above], but it went to the head.'
The coach expressed his confusion over the permanent red card ruling, especially for tall players who strive to play by the book. He stated, 'I don’t understand how it becomes a permanent red card. For us as coaches, we have to work hard because we are working with these guys [pointing to Eben Etzebeth].' Stick also acknowledged the referee's difficult position, understanding the communication challenges within the team.
'There were about 21 decisions that were supposed to be made in the first half; 20 of them went against us,' he noted. 'Not because of the referee, but because he has to respect the communication from his team.' Stick concluded by extending an apology to Italy for the team's disappointment and the unfair outcome of the match.
