Share

NZ fan blasts referee

My name is Ben and I am 18 years old and from New Zealand.
Several hours ago I was watching the All Blacks vs Springboks rugby game on live TV at a relatives house. Personally, despite playing 2nd XV fullback and being an AB's supporter, I was completely outraged at the referees decision to unfairly yellow card the Springbok Hooker. If anything, I was amazed at the referees 'refusal' to penalise Ma'a Nonu for his role in retaliation. I'd agree that there was nothing wrong with the tackle , and my Facebook wall was flooded with images from different angles, clearly showing it was a well executed, well timed *legal* staple tackle.

Again, I was completely outraged at the referees biased-ness towards New Zealand, especially with Ma'a Nonu's illegal shoulder charge on the Springbok captain (regarding to it as a professional foul, I believe), and the chain of events after it. I believe this could have been a retaliation attack, and a yellow on him, especially regarding his prior actions in the game, was far too soft, and I even believe that Steve Hansen should remove him from the squad. (regarding to it as a professional foul, I believe), and the chain of events after it.

Finally, the final try scored by Springboks "Lambie", (not sure what he plays, didn't catch it sorry) and the referees decisions after this, e.g. accusing him of being well offside, then knocking the ball, then finally wanting to take the penalty for the high tackle in the air, really infuriated me.

Even being from New Zealand, I found the referees decisions ridiculous, and wanted to browse South African news websites such as yours, to see the South African communities reaction(s) to this game. Ironically enough, I found little to no coverage about the yellow cards received by Kieran Read and Ma'a Nonu on New Zealand websites, and only found out the justification for Read's sin-binning through your website.



We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE