Why Bakkies Botha wasn’t cited for striking Mortlock
Columnist By Spiro Zavos, 24 Jul 2008 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- referees, Rugby Union, SANZAR, South Africa, Springboks, Stirling Mortlock, The Springboks, wallabies
Related coverage
During the coverage of the Wallabies – Springboks Test at Perth, there was a camera shot that appeared to show Bakkies Botha, the South African bully boy secondrower, belting Stirling Mortlock so badly that he was forced to leave the field with concussion.
The television picture looked like the sort of ‘gotcha’ moment that saw the Springboks hooker Bismarck du Plessis caught on camera gouging the eyes of Adam Thomson, an action that resulted in him being outed from playing rugby for three weeks by the SANZAR Citing Commissioner.
Why wasn’t Botha cited and punished by the Citing Commissioner?
On Monday I received an email from BL which was as direct as a punch to the jaw: “Spiro, what is the drum on a Botha citing? Please advise. BL”
I replied: “Hi BL, nothing as far as I know. A disgrace, but someone has to make a citing, or the Commissioner has to intervene. Botha has been doing this for years, with impunity.”
BL wasn’t happy with this answer: “Spiro, as a respected rugby guru you have the power to raise a player’s behaviour for citing. Please do it, or show footage to Mortlock. Has no one got the balls to raise what we all saw on slow motion replay. Please give it a shot, the future of rugby demands these thugs be sanctioned.”
I told BL he should contact the ARU to find out what the official response was. BL did this, making contact with Peter Rowles, the head of Rugby Services.
Rowles made a prompt answer: “BL, thanks for the email and in respect to the issue you refer, I offer the following. 1. The Citing Commissioner of the night from NZ reviewed the incident and 6 camera angles in slow motion frame by frame which picked up the incident. He reviewed this on many occasions post the match, as all Citing members do. 2. The incident shows Botha attempting to clean out Stirling but he misses Stirling and connects with the rib area of Shalk Burger who subsequently had to leave the field. His shoulders do not make contact with Stirling and he seems to clip the head of Stirling with his knee in a non-intentional action on the way through. 3. The Citing Commissioner had to determine if the actions constituted a red card (called the red card threshold). He determined the actions did not warrant a send off, hence the player was not cited. The Citing Commissioner is one of SANZARS’ most experienced and made the call. I understand that on first glance it didn’t look great, but he has the beauty of all the angles upon which to make his assessment.”
BL replied to this in the following way: “Peter, many thanks for the rapid response. M-G Peter Cosgrove would be impressed. Intent? While he may have missed the intended body part, the ‘mens rea’ (guilty mind, intention) was certainly present.”
This is a good point, but I accept that the Citing Commissioner had to go with what actually happened, not what Botha wanted to happen.
The fact remains, though, that referees have been too tolerant to Botha over the years with his smash-and-grab illegal tactics at the ruck and maul.
It won’t be long before one of these illegal shoulder charges will find its mark and then, hopefully, we can look to the appropriate Citing Commissioner to do the right thing by putting him out of rugby for a considerable period of time.
Recommend this story.
Jim Beam Devil's Cut
As bourbon ages, a portion of liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation. This is known as the Angel's Share. When the bourbon is taken from the barrel, a certain amount is left trapped within the wood. It's that extracted liquid, and the rich flavours from deep within the barrel that are in Jim Beam's Devil's Cut.
Click here to learn more about Jim Beam's wicked new bourbon.
- Explore:
- referees, Rugby Union, SANZAR, South Africa, Springboks, Stirling Mortlock, The Springboks, wallabies
July 24th 2008 @ 10:08am
Peter K said | July 24th 2008 @ 10:08am | Report comment
correction
Finegan was our last hardman, with mongrel, but he was NOT a cheap shot merchant or thug.
July 24th 2008 @ 10:10am
Adam said | July 24th 2008 @ 10:10am | Report comment
Craig,
Have a look at this
This clearly shows Botha was not bound to anyone and simply charged in shoulder first. The resultant shoulder into Mortlock’s head has put the Australian captain out of one of the biggest games of the year for Australian and New Zealand rugby supporters.
Why do you think the Australian media (and rugby supporting public) ‘can’t resist’ having a go at Botha. Forget about histroy and look at this incident on its own
July 24th 2008 @ 10:10am
Peter K said | July 24th 2008 @ 10:10am | Report comment
Mike – What crap.
So its ok to eye gouge, or bite, or say kick people heads in a ruck as long as you get away with it!
July 24th 2008 @ 10:21am
LeftArmSpinner said | July 24th 2008 @ 10:21am | Report comment
I will just sit back and watch the lawyers go toe to toe on this one. Don’cha just love rugby and its supporters!!!! someone will probably correct me on where I placed the apostrophe in “doncha”. from my days in boots, the forwards were mainly lawyers tho there were quite a few dentists in the front row. the MD’s and sales and marketing people were in the backs!!!!
July 24th 2008 @ 10:34am
TembaVJ said | July 24th 2008 @ 10:34am | Report comment
Defenseless player… OK Peter, why is number 13 in the ruck, should the other teams forwards take it easy on him because his a backline player?
He was in the wrong place and got punished for it, had he cleared the ball it would of been a spectacular move that probably could of lead to a tri or a great save. Mortlock showed commitment and a fearless attitude going into that ruck with Burger and Botha waiting for him BUT this does not mean they should take it easy on him.
July 24th 2008 @ 10:45am
Peter K said | July 24th 2008 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Of course you do not take it easy.
Maybe in SA it is legal to shoulder charge players, since Botha and James do it all the time.
Botha constantly shoulder charges defenceless players in the ruck or a maul. That is gutless. Try clearing out using the arms.
July 24th 2008 @ 10:55am
mudskipper said | July 24th 2008 @ 10:55am | Report comment
Mortlock will sort it out himself when he next meets Bakkies Botha on the field… It’s best the Wallabies got on with focussing on the job at hand, the all Blacks match and not look back at what should, could or didn’t happen…This weeks game is for their season and they are travelling very well and their mindset is strong.
Mortlock has had a few past head injuries, one recently during this Super 14 this year and very bad one late Super 14 last year, its best he sits this one out, its the responsible call from the Wallabies medical team…
July 24th 2008 @ 11:00am
TembaVJ said | July 24th 2008 @ 11:00am | Report comment
OK I wont call him gutless but I see your point.
Everyone loves to hate Botha, he knows and thrives on it.
26 times the Aussie turned ball over from the Boks, not even the All Blacks with McCaw can do that, perhaps its a bit of frustration and “taking the law into your own hands” sort of thing. The ref did not do the best of jobs at policing the breakdowns.
I think you will find if you know him, that he is a great man off the field. Very religious, lots of charity work and a big heart but come game day he turns into a bulldozing madman. If I had no idea of his personal life I would agree with you but what you know of his character stretches for the 80 mins between kick offs.
He is a professional sportsman, you wont hear of him getting pissed and bashing taxi’s, gangbanging in hotel room, playing touch with Kwaka’s or smashing team mates jaws in… He saves his aggression for the rugby field, that is his job a hard man.
Wrong? yes at times… gutless? never….
July 24th 2008 @ 11:30am
Mike said | July 24th 2008 @ 11:30am | Report comment
Peter take it easy. i’m not saying it’ alright – what i’m saying is player will get away with what they can – if they so choose to gouge or kick – and there have been a few inclined toward these acts over the years – there were some players who will do it. Obviously with cameras everywhere & bamfords who want to get on TV these days not that many players are stupid enough to try the really dirty stuff.
Doesn’t stop some players from the occassional should charge or taking a player in the air or having a wee push at the ball when they are off their feet. If the Ref lets them do it they will – hell Wayne Barnes & J Kaplan are happy for to let passes be a couple of yards forward these days.
Botha thing doesn’t look that flash on youtube – must be something on other views that makes it not look as bad cos’ you’d have to say from that angle there wasn’t lot of arms.
July 24th 2008 @ 11:31am
mart said | July 24th 2008 @ 11:31am | Report comment
Dirtiest cheapest player in world rugby. Simple fact.