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Du Preez questions officiating after Lions loss

Johannesburg - Sharks coach Robert du Preez has questioned some of the refereeing decisions in his side's 34-29 loss to the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday. 

There were two major moments of controversy - both in the first half and both involving Sharks lock Etienne Oosthuizen. 

First, midway through the opening period, the Sharks had an Andre Esterhuizen try disallowed when replays suggested that Oosthuizen had cleaned out a player illegally and around the neck in the build-up to the try. 

Then, on the stroke of half time, Oosthuizen was yellow carded for another neck roll. 

The Lions scored 14 points while the Sharks were down to 14 men in a 10-minute period that ultimately cost them the game, and Du Preez was not convinced that the calls were the right ones. 

"The yellow card cost us 14 points so that tells a story," he said afterwards. 

"We had chances right through to the end. I don't think that (yellow card) was the turning point, but it definitely contributed to the result at the end of the day.

"I think there were some other incidents in the game too that should be looked at, so it's not just those two.

"I'm not happy with our discipline. To concede so many penalties, although I need to go and have a look at the game again and see if some of those decisions were right or not.

"That yellow card was so marginal."

The referee on the day was Jaco van Heerden and the TMO was Johan Greeff. 

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