Share

Bok fans worry as Poite takes charge in Cardiff

Cape Town - Following the retirement of New Zealand's Bryce Lawrence, every Springbok fan's new least-favourite referee became France's Romain Poite ... and he's back!

Poite will be the man in charge at the Principality Stadium on Saturday when Wales host the Springboks in their final Test of the year.

Kick-off is at 19:30 (SA time).

Despite the vast majority of Springbok fans being infuriated by his officiating in the past, the national side boast a 50/50 record with Poite in charge, having won 3 and lost 3 of the six Tests the 41-year-old has taken charge of.

Poite will be assisted by a trio of little-known Englishmen, with Greg Garner and Tom Foley fulfilling assistant referee duties, while Graham Hughes will handle TMO matters.

Poite angered Springboks fans when he showed hooker Bismarck du Plessis two yellow cards - and a subsequent red card - for, firstly, a tackle on All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter and then an elbow-charge against flank Liam Messam during their 2013 Rugby Championship clash at Eden Park in Auckland.

The All Blacks went on to win the game 29-15 - a result which led to heavy criticism against the Frenchman, so much so that the International Rugby Board (IRB) as they were known at the time issued a statement admitting Poite had erred.

The hatred from fans towards Poite was so bad that a Facebook page - which reached over 60 000 followers - was created to stop him from ever refereeing again.

Poite would later admit to his error and be suspended for several months from refereeing, while the red card was struck from Du Plessis' record.

Here's hoping for a controversy-free Test on Saturday!

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!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 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