SixNations officials have confirmed to the Irish Rugby Football Union that none of a number of referrals made by South Africa against Ireland players have been upheld by the independent citing commissioner that was present at the game between Ireland and South Africa in Croke Park on Saturday 28 November.

The Ireland management say that they are “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”.
 
South Africa claimed that Jamie Heaslip had been involved in an eye-gouging incident with Springbok flanker Heinrich Brussow in the first half of Saturday’s Test.
 
The Springboks had issued a request to match citing commissioner Douglas Hunter to investigate their claims after lodging a complaint within the specified 12 hours from the final whistle of the match.
 
Hunter then had 48 hours to decide whether or not to cite any player but found that there was no wrongdoing.

The Ireland management issued a statement saying that they fully support and believe in the integrity of the citing process in place but believe that any referrals in this process should be made only when they are material and substantial.

The Ireland management stated that they will be making no further comment and consider the matter closed.

156 Responses to Heaslip cleared, Irish now furious at SA

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  • 1

    Bitter Pill Janne

  • 2

    Yes the Irish is just such well behaved chaps.

    Never will they resort to filthy tactics. Rightttttttt.

  • 3

    Personally…. it certainly did not look like a Bok clutched his eyes or ran around without being able to see for a while…

    The citings to me is a farce, in fact a disgrace to a physical game becomming softer and softer as years go by!

    For goodness sakes, there are 3 match officials on the field PLUS a TMO official, if they do not see anything, it should be let go… fark the bloody citing officials and their tribunals, they are the biggest hamper to our game and the futures of players.

    Time some of the old rules are brought back… good old fashioned rucking when a player is lying on the wrong side…. and the freeging tackle is being policed too severely as well… damn, if it looks like someone goes close to the shoulders, it’s high these days…. travesty, I tell you!

  • 4

    #2 The Pill – We are no angels – but we don’t go around citing our opposition. What happens on the field – stays on the field. Why should be bring out the dirty washing. We wash it on the field. We sort out what we need to sort out on the field. You understand what I’m saying mate? Hmmmm not sure I know what I’m saying. 😆

  • 5

    @GBS – Well said GBS! Excuses become a habit! If we loose lets blame the ref or the linesman. Why don’t we just sit down and say – Congrats the opposition was better. We have often received bad calls, but it is part and parcel of the game. Let’s not become whingers!

  • 6

    I miss the clearing out rule – on the wrong side we will ensure you move! It has become a game for boys not men.

  • 7

    Afterall it is the score on the scoreboard at the end of the day that matters. How you got to that score doesn’t matter. Just wish I could be on site where we rather blame the poor performance of the players rather than the ref or Luke Watson or the Coach. You are on the field with a captain, take responsibility. Wow I got that off my chest.

  • 8

    It would be interesting if one could see a staistical analysis between old hard, rucking rugby and the soft rugby nowadays… were there more injuries back then per game… or perhaps less?

  • 9

    Well while I am on a roll…it is really fun chatting to yourself. You are right all the time. So let me get everything off my chest now. 😉

  • 10

    #8 GBS – yeah I would love to see the stats mate. The game has become this stop start boring game. I want to see the clearing of the rucks – sorting out the oke that gouged your eye on the field. Remember those days the oke would be lying on the field and the game just goes on around the dude.

  • 11

    10@ Oirish – Fark, in my days you had to be a good boxer and a rugby player at the same time…. hehehe

  • 12

    #11 GBS – I remember my dad telling me how they sorted the guys out on the field. You told your prop or lock the number on the back of the guy and ‘bang’ all was well again. Now they whinge about handbag burn on their left bicept.

  • 13

    The next thing they will be playing rugby in tights – ooops they already are… 😆

  • 14

    The last team in the world we expect to whinge are the boks – always see them as the tought farmers who carry their sheep on their shoulders…or is that the Kiwis! 😉

  • 15

    Criteria in my day for a loosie (I was one)…

    1. Does he tackle well
    2. Is he physical enough
    3. Is his hands good with the ball
    4. How is his uppercut and straight left and right hook

  • 16

    Should I continue to entertain myself or should I go and do some work – tough one that…

  • 17

    14@ Oirish – No the criteria here was carrying more than one bag of corn at a time…

  • 18

    #15 – and you made the first 15 only if you qualified in 4. That is how it should be.

  • 19

    #17 GBS – that is exactly how I used to perceive them.

  • 20

    19@ Oirish – I witnessed a road rage incident way back when… 2 guys got out of their cars and the one guy suddenly raced back to his car and sped off…. reason being, the other guy had forgotten to take his safety belt off when he climbed out… so the Beetle was strapped to his back as he was walking….. hehehe

    If you believe that, you can believe anything… bwahahaha

  • 21

    #20 😆

  • 22

    A “number” of referals ??

    Come now … this is not ballet 😉

  • 23

    Is it a public holiday in SA today? Where have all the muppets gone? Gone to work everyone! When will they ever learn…

  • 24

    #22 – RP – Wow what a suprise. Sure I am also suprised by the ‘number’ of referals.

    Oh Hi by the way.

  • 25

    GBS

    There was a road rage incident in NZ not that long ago where a young thug beat an old man to death – it was dreadful 🙁

    The Commissioner of Police when interviewed said to the journalist “stop calling it ‘Road Rage’ this was a violent criminal act, when you label it you make it more acceptable & I have a problem with that”.

    I really liked his comment 🙂

  • 26

    Hello Irish 🙂

  • 27

    #26 – RP – When do we stop celebrating? We seldom have a bok scalp in our cabinet so don’t know if it is a week, a month or a year. A year sounds good to me. Anything for a pary I say.

  • 28

    Tripples stop spying on us. Come right in!

  • 29

    25@ R_P – “Road Rage” is quite a scurge here in SA…. we often hear of incidents…

    Must say, I’m an aggressive driver, not that I would revert to violence, but damnit, guys hogging the fast lane or people who do not know how to drive properly really piss me off.

    My car is either standing dead still, or the hammer is flat on the floor… I’m usually late for everything…

  • 30

    When the Irish start winning consistently away – then only will they be regarded as a good team. Interesting but true.

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