The series between South Africa and Ireland was intense, epic, raw, and riveting, featuring not only superior performance but also grisly blood injuries during the second Test staged last Saturday. It took almost an hour to finish the first half due to continuous medical interventions.
Willie le Roux faced permanent ejection from the pitch just two minutes into the game due to a head trauma, while Franco Mostert and Eben Etzebeth were bleeding profusely from facial injuries. Mostert’s play was finally concluded due to a leg issue. This all occurred within the initial 15 minutes.
The reality of the game seems far from the vision World Rugby holds. The actual impact it had on the sport’s image remains uncertain. It’s thrill-packed for the audience, however, participating in it might be a daunting prospect for anyone aside from trained professionals, given the relentless and extreme physicality.
The series drew to an end with a victory each for both teams. The Irish squad, guided by Andy Farrell, secured victories in four out of the last five face-offs between the nations. Their robust defence played a crucial role in gaining this admirable victory by preventing South Africa from scoring a try. On the other hand, Rassie Erasmus put forward no justifications while expressing his disappointment, acknowledging that Ireland deserved the win.
The match climaxed dramatically with the referee, Karl Dickson, seemingly becoming a contentious figure. Aside from the breakdown, the scrum emerged as a significant issue, and an apparently unobserved handling error by Ireland led to an immediate offside penalty being blown, earning Handre Pollard an additional three points.
The score difference had narrowed down to merely two points as Ciarán Frawley rose to the occasion. Those acquainted with his journey from the eminent North County Dublin seaside club, Skerries RFC, would fully recognise the determination displayed by this man who emerged from their junior programme. He made his first appearance in an All-Ireland League game on his 18th birthday – the first day he was eligible to participate. Undeniably, Frawley was the man of the moment.
In a rugby match, it’s detrimental for an official to overly concentrate on one team during scrum time. Although the Irish team’s front row was occasionally at fault, there’s no denying that the South Africans weren’t entirely guiltless. As soon as the latter manage to drive forward, they can rather conveniently provoke a penalty, either by applying force upwards or being the initiators to drive across.
Dickson’s initial refereeing stage was commendable, with his decisions far more logical compared to last week’s Luke Pearce’s judgments. But, gradually, the stress kicked in, resulting in a decline in his performance quality. Plus, the refereeing challenge was at its peak.
Bizarrely, referees appear to have become lenient with side-entry and sealing-off offences which, in turn, has actually intensified their own predicaments. Current laws allowed bodies to pierce into the breakdown, and more players were seen off their feet than standing erect. A sensible course of action would have been to clean up this domain, which doesn’t require a handful of penalties. When players understand certain behaviour won’t be tolerated, they promptly alter their actions, and the opposite holds true as well.
One specific breakdown witnessed Caelen Doris being correctly penalised for embarking on Malcolm Marx’s leg in an attempt to roll him away. Such a motion, which could result in severe knee damage, is strictly prohibited. Some blame James Ryan instead of Doris, but it was indeed both parties at fault. The second-row player might have joined his team captain in the sinbin while further decisions regarding his card colour were being settled.
Fortunately, Marx was unscathed, or else Doris definitely wouldn’t have returned. Last week’s TMO, Ben Whitehouse, was in charge of the bunker, resulting in an anxious wait for his unpredictable decision. Whitehouse decided to maintain the yellow card as Ryan’s dynamics factored into Doris’s deeds. From Ireland’s perspective, we accept it, despite the justifying dynamics being illegal. The loss of their excellent team captain on top of everything would have been a significant blow to the Irish.
A few words about the initial Test. Jaco Peyper, a recently retired referee now part of the Springboks’ team, shared his thoughts after the match on several issues, including backing the TMO decisions against Ireland. However, no comment was made on RG Snyman’s blow to Craig Casey, which left the scrum-half entirely dazed. That was the incident everyone was keen to hear South Africa’s perspective on. Their standpoint would surely be insightful to find out.
Even after considering all factors, the game’s governing bodies, including assistants and TMOs, have ended this Test match period with some commendations. Nevertheless, there’s a vast scope for enhancements and, let’s say, some performances that were less than satisfactory.
Joël Jutge, the manager for World Rugby’s elite referees, hasn’t hesitated in the past to eject officials. At present, there will be a few nervously awaiting the news of their next assignment. It is also possible that a couple of them may not ever return.