The culprit was never ‘fingered’ and the citing was subsequently not upheld, but visual evidence has emerged that the face of Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow was indeed attacked during his team’s 10-15 loss to Ireland last Saturday.
Scottish citing commissioner Douglas Hunter declined to cite any Irish player after the match, despite having the same evidence at his disposal as this website – the picture that proves that Brüssow did indeed suffer damage around his eye area.
However, after spending a substantial part of Monday watching the match video at length, Hunter was unable to pinpoint the possible culprit – who will now escape in anonymity for eternity.
The Irish Rugby Football Union, not to mention the Irish media, were at pains to put out the view that no eye-gouging took place, but this evidence could possibly suggest otherwise.
In a statement issued this week the IRFU spoke of a “number of referrals” made by South Africa against Ireland players – none of which were upheld by the independent citing commissioner, Hunter, who was present at the game at Croke Park.
“The Ireland management is, however, very disappointed that the name of an Ireland player was subsequently associated with eye gouging in the media as a result of one of these unsubstantiated referrals,” read the statement.
The IRFU also suggested the Boks’ referrals were not “material”.
The Springbok camp did not name any Irish player in the alleged eye-gouging saga, but merely asked the citing commissioner to look at the match video for evidence, as they are entitled to do.
That is what Hunter did, but he was unable to identify the culprit.
But Hunter, who had at his disposal the same picture attached to this article, would not have spent such a large part of the day looking for evidence if he did not believe there was reason to try and identify a possible culprit.
And the manner in which the Irish media tried to dismiss the case, and Brüssow’s claims that he had possibly been gouged, should be seen in the light of the outcry after Schalk Burger’s eight-week ban for ‘reckless’ behaviour in putting his hand in the face of Ireland’s British and Irish wing Luke Fitzgerald in the first minute of the second Test in June.
Burger, his team’s only try-scorer on Saturday, was roundly booed at Croke Park – before the match when the team line-ups were announced and after scoring his first-half try.
At the time of Burger’s incident in the Lions Series, Judicial Officer Alan Hudson specifically cleared the Bok flank of eye-gouging, but found him guilty of “committing an act contrary to good sportsmanship by making contact with the face in the eye area” of Fitzgerald.
“I do not find this to be an intentional act on the part of Burger. In my view his actions were clearly reckless,” said Hudson at the time of the incident
(as published on rugby 365)
Carol, please check my advice on the other thread re: your outing Saturday. If you have not taken the necessary measures this past week then you had better give up your tickets to a more worthy person. 🙂
Hi Pill – Tigers wife looks too tiny to inflict such damage!!
Jim – Ohhhh, better go and look!!
Jim – Grrrrr, how can you a Pommie support those Sheep shaggers!! 🙁
I refuse to bow down to the AB’s……Go South African dominated Barbarians!!
Nr 8
IrishDevil…
Maybe you should be in charge of National publicity, then I would like the Irish a lot more. Well said (surely made me look like a bit of an ass).
Though I am sorry, but I’m sure I am not the only one that would be complaining about the way that (lets call it certain) Lions players and the general press in the North and in Ireland have handled the whole situation. Making Burger out to be a complete thug and then just quietly ignoring the Brussouw situation. I mean c’mon.
Btw, with regards to my comments about the French in soccer, I was reading a lot of postings on the internet by guys who was going off about “F*ck Henry and the French and bla bla bla”. Sorry if my info was unreliable.
But yeah, have a good one.
36 @ GG
Hehe, he sure told you. Remember, you can’t believe everything you hear through the media. Imagine people thinking that voldy’s view is shared by all South-Africans.
30 @ Pilletjie
😆
@36 Greenpoint-Gunner – Morning mate – no issues – soz for reactions – my pops and nan always said silence is often the best response – ignored it – after all we all have a right to our opinions. Probably had a bad day and expressed it on the wrong forum. Soz buddy
We had a documentary on Cape Town last night. If it really looks like it was projected then it is one hell of a place. As a child – yeah still am – I always wanted to go on a Safari and Africa was always on my mind. Instead of wasting my money on the Soccer, I should use it to tour the Republic. Good luck with the hosting – it is huge here in Europe and some believe even bigger than the Olympics.
Morning folks,
So the Boks’ mid-season policy of not initiating citings has been dumped then? Pity, I enjoyed that stance…
#40 Irish
Cape Town is beautiful, but like most cities has its fair and unfair share of problems. Inspite or because of this we Capies tend to smile a lot, with or without teeth.
You’re welcome to come check it out for yourself anytime.
seriously that is no evidence to suggest he was fingered. In this case evidence is proof of action.
A stud could have done that. Schalk could have done that or Brussow himself after wiping away the tears of defeat…rubbinng too hard!
Irish World cup soccer is way bigger than the olympics.
There is no other tournament in the world that competes with world cup soccer. why?
Any of up to 20 out of 32 teams can win the tournament.
thats the excitement of the game.
It will be sad if saffas dont take hold of this tournament with both hands enjoy and relish the experience.
43 Wallabie
Is comedy in Australia experiencing a renaissance?
All this whining about citings. I finally got to see the Irish game last night. Seems to me that the Boks were very lucky that two yellow cards were not issued. One Bekker dancing with his knees on a Paddy. Surely the ref has no discretion here, it’s at least a yellow card. The 2nd instance was JPP headhunting. Now was so blatant a yellow card was warranted. I find it a little odd the IRFU did not mention that in their whining. Both sides guilty of whining here. Clearly the ref & his assistants should have been cited. 🙂
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