Xerox Lions flank Trevor Hall was found not guilty and Vodacom Blue Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe received a severe warning after both players attended SARU judicial hearings held in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
SA Rugby’s official site
Hall was cited under law 10.4 (m) for acts contrary to good sportsmanship. The Xerox Lions flanker was on top of the Vodacom Blue Bulls No 4 Van der Merwe during the 81st minute of the match and with his open hands made contact in his face, near the eye area.
SARU judicial officer Jannie Lubbe considered evidence from the Xerox Lions flanker, video recordings and heard submissions from Hall’s representative. He noted that the incident occurred in close proximity to the match officials and agreed with their decision of not taking further action. As a result, the citing was not upheld.
Van der Merwe was cited under law 10.4 (a) for punching or striking an opponent. The Vodacom Blue Bulls lock aimed a punched at the Xerox Lions hooker Martin Bezuidenhout during the third minute of the game. The Vodacom Blue Bulls defeated the Xerox Lions 32-18.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls lock pleaded guilty to the charge.
Lubbe considered evidence from the player, video recordings and heard submissions from Van der Merwe’s representatives. Bezuidenhout testified and confirmed that Van der Merwe’s punch did not hit him in the face. As a result, Lubbe issued the Vodacom Blue Bulls lock with a severe warning.
SWD Eagles centre Sinethemba Zweni however was found guilty after he was cited for contravening law 10.4 (j) for lifting an unidentified Griffons player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground.
The incident occurred in the 19th minute of the game. The SWD Eagles defeated the Griffons 18-14 in this Absa Currie Cup First Division match.
Lubbe deemed the tackle as a lower entry tip tackle and suspended the SWD Eagles centre for two weeks. Zweni’s clean record after more than 50 Absa Currie Cup games was also considered before Lubbe announced his ruling
Bezuidenhout, thanks for testifying for old Flip… good sportsmanship.
Really good news this. Now hope that Flip gets to start at 4 at Soccer City against the ABs. He played really well there for the Bulls this S14.
erm…I really have mixed feelings about this whole citing thing. The rules are applied inconsistently. In the rule book a punch is automatic red card…that seems to have been forgotten about and now the punishments meted out are totally inconsistent…and there seems to be an agreement that the SA sides are the more aggressive…but the insidious stuff, like slapping a ball out of your opponents hands largely gets left untouched…my point is Aussiews are subversive and sneaky about what they do, the Kiwi’s are halfway in between, Saffers with their up front and open personalities get punished for overtly displaying their displeasure and i think they’ve got it wrong, the perpetrator should gets punished and not the retaliator. So if a guy sneak punches you, you bliksem him and then the video can check and the guy who started it should get the cooling off period.
@ 4man:3 – 4man..LOL. Actually not that funny really but had a laugh. Have to agree with you. I always wonder why the perpetrator gets off and the retaliator has to be punished. Maybe both should would make it sort of fair. Though I like your thinking to let the perpetrator get a bliksem by the retaliator…..hehehehe. Good one. 😀
They were very lucky to get away with it…
Hope lessons are learned…
@ Blouste:
het jy gesien dat ek daardie artikel geplaas het van Bob Dwyer waarvan jy gepraat het? maar hy is afgeskuif na ondertoe op die page en sal seker later op page 2 wees.
Ek se jou eerlikwaar Bob slaan die spyker op die kop, ek voel laaaankal moerig oor waarmee NZ wegkom.
@ superBul:
Kyk die result staan en so staan duisende ander uitslae, waar foute die een span bevoordeel het. Maar as dinge nie ontleed en uitgewys word nie hoekom hou ons telling in n wedstryd. Dan kan almal mos maar foute maak en die span wat die mooiste kroek en driee druk maar wen.
Moet se ek mis n skrum wat deur 90 geswaai word, goeie rolmaal bewegings. Hoop nie die VLEIS in rugby verdwyn heeltemal nie. Ek was nog nooit n persoon wat van n te los game gehou het nie. Daarvoor kyk ek Sewes.
Flip punches, but because he misses he gets off. So the law only punishes people who can punch properly?
No wonder we are getting our dicipline wrong in international rugby.
Flip should go ask Kockett to teach him the art of slapping.
@ Snoek:
Actually sad to think we are so off with our game/conditioning, we even miss at point blank range. 😆
Must say the Lions player did not milk the card there, he did not learn the soccer moves to drop dead at any swiesh coming his way. Respect.
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