The supposed incident that has cost Lions strongman Heinke van der Merwe a place in the side to take on the Bulls on Saturday occurred in the 76th minute of the game. I have personally watched it ten times following the announcement of the ban and all I can say is shame on you Sharks – shame on you Mr Citing Commissioner….
Personally I find it hard to believe that there is not some hidden agenda here. The actual tackle is so low key and so irrelevant that the commissioner in question must have spent hours scrutinising the video simply to find an incident to justify his match fee. I have heard that the commission was comprised of Sharks officials and if that is indeed so then these gentlemen should hang their heads in shame.
A spear tackle is obviously dangerous but as the video clearly shows van der Merwe is holding Frans Steyn at all times and in fact falls forward which ensures there is no danger at all as Steyn falls over. The force of the tackle does lift Steyn off his feet but van der Merwe’s momentum makes it clear this was nothing more than a big hit. The fact that Jannie Boshoff was cited for the same incident is actually laughable and in my opinion calls the integrity of the citing commissioner into question.
The Lions are supposedly going to appeal the ban, which is not surprising, what is – is that nobody at SA Rugby has stepped in and called this for what it is. A farce. Shame on you Mr Citing Commissioner!
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No team will form the citing commission. A team may request the commissioner look at incidents, but unlike the refs (where the home team under a home ref seem to be winning all the games) there is no way it would not be an independent person.
If it was the SHarks, what would they have to gain if the player was not injured and the action did not have a bearing on the game?
Guru?
yeah Rugby Guru, i must say that i was surprised when i heard that he was cited. I didn’t even remember the incident (and no i wasn’t that drunk), and believe me, i watched that game with very black and white tinted glasses and would have been the first to cry foul.
@Baldrick (Comment 1) :
Also not sure what the insinuation that this is a Sharks conspiracy is based on – we have nothing to gain by hamstringing the guys least likely to challenge us for a knockout place.
Shame on you for keo-type journalism Rugby Guru.
Bla…Bla…Bla…Bla…What ever
BLACK & WHITE. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS !!!
@Charlie (Comment 4) :
also actually watched it last night, and there was nothing in it, feel sorry for heinke
@wpw (Comment 5) : Howdy Wes
don’t even remember the incident – but why the “shame on the Sharks” ?
@Charlie (Comment 7) :
Hey Charles!!!
did anyone who was at the game see deysels hit, he tackled a guy and he was down for 3 phases,the lions try, and the kick, and then only got up still not looking all up there
@willa (Comment 10) : Jip, devestating
Why wasn’t Bismarck cited for running in and putting his hand over Clever’s face after Kanko’s try? I thought hand on face was one of the worst sins in rugby these days?
@McLovin (Comment 12) : cause the citing co thought bismarck did a good thing by protecting his face from the fury of kanko’s fists
Sharks – 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Johann Muller (c), 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Deon Carstens.
Subs – 16 John Smit, 17 Beast Mtawarira, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Ross Cronje, 21 Riaan Swanepoel, 22, Luzuko Vulindlu.
@willa (Comment 14) :
Not very clever, Plum should have listened to Rob in his article…
Upset looming here.
@willa (Comment 13) : Ja, I forgot Bissie is such a kind soul. Always putting the welfare of others before his own interests.
Must say, Guru, I reckon you’re a little out on a limb here. From the Sharks perspective, the Lions beating the Bulls would be a great result.
Heinke’s appeal is heard tonight at 23:00…
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 18) : What an odd hour??
@Claytie (Comment 19) : they want to keep him up late just in case…
@robdylan (Comment 20) :
Who knows what their reasons are…perhaps they don’t have PVR and want to watch something on TV?
Happy hour only finishes at eleven….
@McLovin (Comment 22) :
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 21) : maybe they don’t have MNET so they’re waiting to watch the SABC replay of the game.
I’ll be sleeping by then (hopefully) and hopefully I won’t pick up an injury overnight like AP…
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 25) : well… I suspect I know what AP was doing when he picked p the mystery “sleep injury”. Be vigilant… especially where Mrs van transvaal.co.za is involved
@robdylan (Comment 26) :
no comment…