Rassie Erasmus has resumed taking pot shots at the British and Irish Lions on Twitter after posting footage to highlight what he describes as “reckless and dangerous” play.
The clip comes from South Africa’s 22-17 defeat in Cape Town on Saturday and sees Ali Price tackle Cheslin Kolbe close to the touchline before Mako Vunipola picks the Springboks wing up off the floor.
“Cheslin is obviously played in the air and clearly not direct into touch!! More importantly for youngsters watching this clip!!!!” Erasmus tweeted.
“Please never move or touch an injured player on the ground, it’s reckless and dangerous!”
It comes the day after Erasmus, South Africa’s director of rugby, retweeted a post from an anonymous user showing some “questionable calls” by the officials against the world champions.
As part of the retweet, Erasmus adds: “Thanks. This is rugby – sometimes calls go for you and other times they dont (sic)”.
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
In a twist, the anonymous poster named ‘Jaco Johan’ uses the same type of graphics – a yellow circle – to highlight the alleged foul play as Erasmus does on his official account.
Additionally, the user has only tweeted twice and on both occasions the content was of video clips implicating the Lions in dangerous play.
Erasmus used Twitter two weeks ago to draw attention to two challenges by Owen Farrell in the South Africa A game, but after Saturday’s defeat he appeared to have adopted a more conciliatory tone.
“No excuses this side!! You are far away from home, families and going through same tough COVID protocols like we do!! Congrats and well deserved !!!” he tweeted.
British and Irish Lions assistant coach Steve Tandy said if Erasmus had any complaints about rough play from the tourists he should direct it through the appropriate channels and not social media.
“It is his viewpoint, we thought the officials did a good job at the weekend, and if there is anything we need to bring up we will go through the appropriate channels,” Tandy told reporters on Monday.
“We just have to worry about we do and do our talking on the field,” said Tandy.
“Rassie’s comments are his own, we are just focusing on what we need to tidy up to make sure we are nice and clean about how we go about things.”
Tandy says there is a danger if every piece of potential foul play is analysed by the television match official, games would be too long.
“We don’t want the games going on forever, it is the major calls you want to get right and spend the appropriate time on them. But the little bits… for the officials there are so many things going on in a game,” he said.
“As a team it is about micro-analysing the match (afterwards), we do that ourselves. But it is then about raising the ones (foul play) that are relevant through the appropriate channels.”
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
If entertainers are accountable to fans, can I request some money back for the dross served up in this series so far? The refs have been one of the highlights
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
You must know that could be done in a much more constructive way. Rassie dragged the game down, he didn’t lift it up
tuohyred
Roar Rookie
No, Rassie just calling for external accountability. Berry had too many shockers in Oz to get world level call up.
Ex force fan
Guest
Views on this topic is tainted by the supporters of each side. The argument that players should not touch a player that laying on the ground is fair but tainted by the other posts on Rassie’s Twitter page. Gatland’s attack on the TMO prior to the 1st test are however soon forgotten by his supporters. Wish we could take a more principled view, any attempt by coaches and officials to influence the referees should not be tolerated no matter which side you support, however comments directed to ensure the safety of players should be encouraged.
Loosey
Roar Rookie
What did I miss? Abuse is never tolerable. "I also think when officials get things badly wrong we should pretend like people are unreasonable because they are upset Did you mean "should not"? Define "badly wrong". According to whom? "By the way I do think entertainers are accountable to fans." So referees are 'entertainers' are they? I think your comment belies a sense of self-entitlement and importance that some fans feel but simply doesn't exist. You are suggesting that each and every spectator or TV fan is expected to have their threshold of entertainment satisfaction met because they pay a third party a subscription and wear their club's jersey. Unless you have a contract directly with the referee and all the players to keep you satisfactorily entertained, I suggest your feelings importance in the scheme of things are somewhat overstated.
Uriah Heep
Roar Rookie
Presumably all the rest have Specsaver franchises or train seeing-eye dogs ?
Harry Jones
Expert
Gats was actually the one who suggested Jonker was a bent ref
Harry Jones
Expert
A happy clown or a sad clown …
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Nah, this is embarrassing for him, for SA and for the game.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
How would you expect it to have been addressed? Change the result? Time to move on
BackInBlack
Guest
South Africa showing their class :laughing:
Jak
Guest
For all his faults, at least Chieka had the courage to say it straight up and not hide behind some burner Twitter account.
piru
Roar Rookie
I dunno man, I think he'll look like a clown regardless
piru
Roar Rookie
I can't read twitter at work, but I'm not particularly interested in whether people are upset or not, rugby is such that anyone who was minded to could find incidents that were 'missed' or shouldn't have been called at practically every breakdown. It's when people inside the system, who do have access to formal recourse (and who should know better) choose to whinge and moan about how hard done by they are on public media that we get issues - as per my above.
Greco Dominicus
Roar Rookie
Maybe you missed this “I dont think people should be allowed to abuse officials, but I also think when officials get things badly wrong we should pretend like people are unreasonable because they are upset” Saturday was bad. By the way I do think entertainers are accountable to fans. What I am doing now, the subscriptions I pay, the rugby jerseys I buy, all the money I spend on rugby contributes to their livelihood. The same way I am accountable to customers even though I dont report to them.
Loosey
Roar Rookie
When they get it badly wrong, they get dropped. Referees aren't exempt from game or performance reviews. It just doesn't hold validity when it's conducted via Twitter. It gets done properly by the review committee specifically tasked to monitor performance not 'the mob'. Moreover, referees are not answerable to 30+ million fans around the world and nor should they be.
Loosey
Roar Rookie
I'm honoured to be deemed worthy of the label 'lunatic'. I just follow the moon. :silly:
Loosey
Roar Rookie
Which ones are bookies? :laughing:
Loosey
Roar Rookie
Correct me if I'm wrong, there is an official meeting between coaches and refs prior to a Test series where there is an opportunity to discuss various laws and interpretations. Perhaps Hansen was just referring to that official meeting. I believe they are also entitled to request a meeting. I think the only people coaches actually influence are the fans. Good refs wouldn't pay attention to it or even read it - they take their instructions from WR and the official referees body.
Loosey
Roar Rookie
Who the f@#% would want to be a ref, hey? They've got my admiration at least, for wanting to the job.