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July 5th 2009 @ 7:52am
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Springboks protest Botha ban
Springboks playing in the third and final Test won 28-9 by the British and Irish Lions on Saturday wore armbands in protest at the suspension of lock Bakkies Botha for an alleged dangerous charge in the second Test.
Botha was banned for two weeks for the second-half charge on Adam Jones in the Pretoria Test last [...]
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Spencer said | July 5th 2009 @ 11:16am | Report comment
I wonder why the Lions didn’t wear black arm bands to protest the leniency of the Burger gouge suspension.
Brett McKay said | July 5th 2009 @ 11:39am | Report comment
Are the Boks protesting against a certain law, or that Botha got suspended for something he’s been doing for years??
mattamkII said | July 5th 2009 @ 11:39am | Report comment
To be honest – what a bunch of tools, but they do have a point. BB is hard done by IN THIS CASE.
Justin said | July 5th 2009 @ 11:57am | Report comment
Should never have been suspended. Text book clean out. Joke decision.
Virgil said | July 5th 2009 @ 4:59pm | Report comment
Looked pretty lame though. When Matfield stuck the justice tape to his headgear I almost vomited.
Kevin, Meath said | July 5th 2009 @ 6:30pm | Report comment
Thought I it was a bit pathetic, Iranian soccer team wears arm bands because protesters are being shot in the street and ‘rigged’ elections, Bokke? because a player is unfairly given a minor ban for something which is illegal technically but is usually ignored and yes if consistently enforced would see loads of players banned. Botha is not exactly a saint and has got away with things in the past, so swings and roundabouts. Perhaps the armbands were meant to appeal Burgers short ban?
Greg Smith said | July 5th 2009 @ 7:18pm | Report comment
This Drama (including the Schalk Burger ploy) is all for the Tri Nations.
Kiwi’s and Aussies should feel honoured !
Act 1 – Schalk Burger cops a citing (South Africans agree) No problem !
Act 2 – Bakkies Botha cops a citing (South Africans cry – what ?) Then launch a little victimisation rumble.
Act 3 – Tri Nations – Bakkies Botha cops ANOTHER citing (South Africans cry – VICTIMISATION !)
Nicely done… I think, although a bit cheesy with armbands & Victor Matfield looked like a love sick teenager… with his little note – JUSTICE (my love) ha, ha, ha…
Does show what lengths South Africa need to go to… in terms of Tri Nations equity !
Ian Noble said | July 5th 2009 @ 7:49pm | Report comment
I agree with Kevin, Meath completely pathetic, there have been a number of incidences in top class rugby and indeed sport generally where you may disagree with a decision, but you have to take it on the chin. Perhaps a reflection of the the attitude of their coach, sorry so unnecessary and reflects badly on the Boks.
mattamkII said | July 5th 2009 @ 11:02pm | Report comment
Is that Kevin Meath or Kevin FROM Meath? as in Co. Meath, Ireland?
Howi said | July 6th 2009 @ 7:29am | Report comment
Difficult to recall or even imagine any other rugby team wearing armbands because of official rulings. Should the boks carry them in their pockets now during a game – you know, just in case a referee’s decision goes against them.
LeftArmSpinner said | July 6th 2009 @ 8:16am | Report comment
As a former fullback who never deigned to grace a ruck, unless the ball was easily available and space was abundant in which to score a try, what is the actual rule on this, given that these days, often there are very few defenders in a ruck.
further, where do you draw the offside line if there is no one in the ruck and hence there are no “last man feet etc.”?
Geez, it must be a quiet rugby news day if I am talking about rules that relate to the ruck!!!!!
Jerry said | July 6th 2009 @ 9:14am | Report comment
Well, if there’s no-one in the ruck, it’s not a ruck – it’s just a ball lying on the ground!
The law is that you have to bind onto a teammate to enter a ruck. However, this is essentially not policed at all. The Botha situation was possibly not a ruck when he entered the situation anyway – a ruck requires:
one player from either team:
on their feet:
over the ball.
As Jones was the only guy on his feet over the ball when Bakkies arrived, you could say it wasn’t actually a ruck. In that situation, what Botha would legally be able to do would be to contest the ball. He’s not legally able to clear Jones out at all, though in practise, it is allowed.
Some refs would rule it was a ruck however, as there was a player from either team on their feet over the ball for a split second though they had both fallen over before Jones took up his position – the IRB has ruled a ruck does not end if that happens (it ends when the ball is cleared or becomes unplayable).
Hemjay said | July 6th 2009 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Well there has to be a first for everything but it surely makes the Boks look like bad sports something that many roarers recently have been accussing the Lions of.
It would’ve been a better statement had they won but they got soundly whipped and were made to look really stupid, the armband debacle made them look idiotic. Technically it is illegal and I dare say Bothas reputation which precedes him didn’t help alot.
Warren said | July 6th 2009 @ 9:57am | Report comment
As a South African, I was mortified to see the armbands on Sat. This is juvenile bahviour in the extreme. However, having witnessed PdV’s comments since becoming coach, we should probably not be surprised that this action was sanctioned by management.
I think Bakkies was harshly done by. This is not the point though, and I’m not sure what right any team has to protest in this manner.
Grow up boys…
Jerry said | July 6th 2009 @ 10:45am | Report comment
I reckon the Lions should have come out with “Justice for Schalk” armbands to protest the paltry nature of his punishment.
NickF said | July 6th 2009 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
As usual. The saffies feel that they are above the law. and stand on a higher moral ground than the rest of us.
They need to learn some humility and learn the phrase “Cop it Sweet”.
Temba said | July 6th 2009 @ 1:14pm | Report comment
I can’t help but think this is PDV’s idea or fault in some way… Its sounds like excuses… its smells of BS, my beloved boks are seriously moving backwards and it started when PDV took over. This is a culture that easily infects an entire team. Bitching and moaning instead of finding ways around and through. Ask the wallabies with Eddie moans…
Australia for this year 3N champs by a big margin.
Kevin, Meath said | July 6th 2009 @ 6:28pm | Report comment
I have the good grace to live in the Royal county, the land of milk and honey (even if its full of bloody Dubs these days) and where the sun always shines (sort of), although I come from the across the water, Cymru and that where I played most of my rugby. I could have been a great player, only one thing held me back—– a complete lack of talent.
Willem said | July 7th 2009 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
People seem to forget the reason for the protest, its not just because bakkies is important member of the springbok team but also because of the fact that it sets a precedend which opens up a nasty window that can severly effect the game. Could the rugby world for just a few second just try and forget that it is the “nasty” Bakkies Botha or the “Evil” springboks and look at the issue with an open mind. maybe it would help if we imagined it happened to the fijian team (no disrespect to them i just feel that they are one of the more liked teams in world rugby) would people still be so onesided and biased, i dont think so. As a springbok supporter i have made peice with the fact that people will always love to see a giant fall and i feel that in this instance it is clearly effecting peoples judgement.
I mean the springboks are actually doing the dirty work for the rest of the rugby world. They know they wont get the rulling overturned so to say that is what they want is stupid. They just want a law to be relooked at and while they are at it for the system and refereeing to become more consistend, and no one can argue that this has been a problem for everyone no matter which team you support.
And for people that say they should be repremanded, common what happened to freedom of speech or the right to challenge a system, do people have to die or severally be oppressed before its ok for someone to say sorry but we don’t agree.
mattamkII said | July 7th 2009 @ 11:11pm | Report comment
Kev – continue the off topic convo.
I know County Meath pretty well (or Meeet as the locals call it). Mate of mine married a bird from the Tara, Skreen and Ross area. Its a great part of the world! Had a massive afternoon a the pub (whos name I cant remember) at the top of the Hill of Skreen followed by some pitch and put over the road.
Tony said | July 10th 2009 @ 10:05pm | Report comment
For “Justice” read “Thug”. The Bothas, Burgers and Bismarchs are ingrained bullies and baiters. Their “play the man” on-field is only matched by a pretentious piety off-field. They are still as crude and boorish as they were when I watched the Lions wallop them in 1974.