Sharks V Rebels @ Kings Park

[qwerty51]

Punches shouldn't be a red card. A king hit yes but if players are sort of squaring up.. yellow card only.

 

[Highlander35]

I'm at peace with the decision. I still think he was lucky, but yellow is a fair enough decision.

I'm caught between 2 minds on Weeksy striking. On one hand, the fact that was very very low impact means a 1 or 2 week ban, much like Salesi Ma'afu in last years Prem finals is potentially on the cards rather than a long term suspension.

On the other hand, if you're stupid or angry enough to punch someone in the face, you really should be making them feel it.

Otherwise a bit of deja vu from last week. One intercept try against, one try where a back 3 player goes through untouched after a rolling maul, sloppy hands and trying to force things more often than not.

Pack had a good game, especially Toby, PAE and Jones, but MOTM goes to Higgers for a complete performance.

Burgess showed why he's been relegated to Bench so far.

If Ellison isn't back this week I think we need to put serious consideration into Mikey at 12, Mitch at 13 and Hegarty at 15. While we did get a couple scored against us with this set up, it maximises the experience in Midfield and gives greater counter attacking potential from the kick return, without sacrificing the playmaker at 15 role.

 

[Josh123]

I don't know exactly what time, but what happens when a maul is set up with no opposition? It seems to me that referees seem to not want to accept it is happening? There was one off a maul and another off a kick of reception.

 

[qwerty51]

If the opposition makes no contact it is not a maul, if there are players bound ahead of the ball carrier it is obstruction when the opposition make contact.

 

[KevinO]

If Ellison isn't back this week I think we need to put serious consideration into Mikey at 12, Mitch at 13 and Hegarty at 15. While we did get a couple scored against us with this set up, it maximises the experience in Midfield and gives greater counter attacking potential from the kick return, without sacrificing the playmaker at 15 role.

Hegarty has been so under used this season, he needs to start next week and I agree with moving Harris to 12. It really did look like we could score from where with this set up last night even though we were down a man.

 

[Blue]

All I can say is that the Sharks are fucking useless beyond any reasonable description.

The basic skills coaching appears to be non existent. They cannot pass. They cannot catch. They cannot make decisions. It's awful.

The Captain and hist locking partner are two has beens that have returned from Europe at the end of their careers and now play Super Rugby. What. The. F.

Totally inept. No wonder the du Plessis brothers are leaving. Come to think of it they are probably part of the problem.

 

[Gnostic]

When I heard the news that Weeks had been sent of for punching I just knew he had punched one of the Du Plesis' brothers. Can't say I'm surprised, those two idiots are the dirtiest players in world rugby with the exception of Dylan Hartley.

As for the open handed "slap" it was a well executed strike with the heel of the palm. Anybody who has done some martial arts training will tell you that a well executed heel strike can cause more damage and pain than a clenched fist. Du Plesis in his usual cheap shot mode struck Weeks in the back of the head, which is actually more dangerous that striking the front, especially towards the base of the head. Just a pity that Weeks if he was going to lose his shit didn't do the job properly.

 

[Proud Pig]

It was a poor decision. Both players should have been red carded. You can't hit someone in the back of the head and expect to get away with it lightly.

 

[formerflanker]

When I heard the news that Weeks had been sent of for punching I just knew he had punched one of the Du Plesis' brothers. Can't say I'm surprised, those two idiots are the dirtiest players in world rugby with the exception of Dylan Hartley.

As for the open handed "slap" it was a well executed strike with the heel of the palm. Anybody who has done some martial arts training will tell you that a well executed heel strike can cause more damage and pain than a clenched fist. Du Plesis in his usual cheap shot mode struck Weeks in the back of the head, which is actually more dangerous that striking the front, especially towards the base of the head. Just a pity that Weeks if he was going to lose his shit didn't do the job properly.

In retrospect, Weeks should have gone down all pole-axed style and not moved for 5 minutes. Generate immediate sympathy from the ref, no send off for him, and the stupid review committee would ban the Sharks aggressor for 5 matches.
If the hierarchy of rugby are not going to stamp out coward hits, then players must take alternative action.

 

[Braveheart81]

It was a poor decision. Both players should have been red carded. You can't hit someone in the back of the head and expect to get away with it lightly.

I disagree. Jannie du Plessis milked it beautifully by getting maximum effect whilst looking less guilty with an open handed strike. He is almost certainly only going to get a yellow card for doing that. If he'd done the same thing with a closed fist (unprovoked hit to the back of the head) I think he would have been red carded.

Laurie Weeks lost the plot. If he'd punched once or twice he would have got a yellow card only but he kept going with it. Landing around 5 punches on du Plessis' head was always going to result in a red card, particularly when du Plessis wasn't fighting back.

Weeks absolutely got suckered in to committing a red card offence by a player renowned for treading a fine line regarding foul play.

 

[Tex]

Weeks is a goose and got played by a cunning stunt.

His comical "what!" reaction to the card was pretty good too. Almost believed him...

 

[Ballboy]

That was a dumb loss , the Sharks were almost asking to be beaten and we : dropped the ball , missed a tackle , kicked poorly , were offside etc etc, dumb really dumb , the uplift in attack was terrific when Stirzy came on , Burgess seems lost

 

[elementfreak]

Punches shouldn't be a red card. A king hit yes but if players are sort of squaring up.. yellow card only.

A singular punch I agree with you, this however was multiple connecting punches to the head/face. It's a RC every day of the week.

 

[PaarlBok]

Kaplans verdict
S24

Kaplan: Kings Park cards were right


Cape Town - Retired South African Test referee Jonathan Kaplan says Jaco van Heerden made the right call when he dished out two cards in the Sharks’ Super Rugby clash against the Rebels at Kings Park last Friday.
Rebels prop Laurie Weeks was red carded for throwing punches at counterpart Jannie du Plessis.
Du Plessis had provoked Weeks with a slap to the head, which also saw the Springbok prop receive a yellow card.
Kaplan, writing on his website www.ratetheref.co.za, said Van Heerden made the right call by not also sending Du Plessis off.
He wrote: “I thought the decision to red card the Rebels prop, Laurie Weeks, and yellow card Jannie du Plessis was well explained by the ref Jaco van Heerden .It seemed fair enough, and I didn’t agree with studio guests on SuperSport that a punch is a punch and both deserved red.”
Weeks was cited after his side’s 25-21 loss and subsequently banned for three weeks.
Kaplan also corrected commentator Owen Nkumane after the latter made a wrong law interpretation and conveyed it to viewers.
“In addition, the commentary team conveyed incorrect information to the public without batting an eyelid. It was claimed that knocking the ball backwards should be a penalty. This is really Rugby101. When I corrected it on Twitter, they, and their fans, woke up. It really isn’t important who said what. There is only one thing that counts above others. Give the correct information to the public and allow them to make up their minds. Too often, poor information is conveyed, and all it does is confuse the public. There are too many opinions and too few experts out there. The public deserve better,” wrote Kaplan.