Boks point finger at Heaslip
The Springboks have accused Jamie Heaslip of eye-gouging.
The Springboks have issued a request to match citing commissioner, Douglas Hunter from Scotland to investigate claims that the Ireland No 8 stuck his finger into the eye of Heinrich Brüssow in the first half of Saturday’s Test.
Hunter has noted the request and will review video evidence before deciding on whether to cite the player or not.
In the build up to the clash at Croke Park, won 15-10 by Ireland, the local media were incessant in their criticism of the Springboks’ physical approach to the game, which they deemed amounted to nothing more than foul play.
They exhumed the issue of Schalk Burger’s eye-gouge on Irish wing Luke Fitzgerald in the second Test of the British & Irish Lions series, and used it as the example of the illegality which marks the Springboks’ play.
After that match Heaslip was particularly critical of Burger and the referee, commenting that it was hard for the Lions to win when ’shit like that was being allowed’, referring to the eye-gouge in particular but also to other incident which he thought went unpunished.
The Springboks later lost Bakkies Botha for the third Test after the lock was found guilty of a dangerous charge on prop Adam Jones, when video evidence suggested there was nothing illegal about the ruck clean. The Springboks protested the ludicrous ruling, only for SA Rugby to be heavily fined by the International Rugby Board.
In the third Test Lions lock Simon Shaw blatantly fell with his knees into the back of Fourie du Preez, an act which could have at worst resulted in paralysis, yet was only banned for two weeks.
It remains to be seen whether the Springboks have a strong case against Heaslip or not. But even if they do, don’t hold your breath that Hunter will cite Heaslip, let alone punish him accordingly.
Meanwhile, the All Blacks have also lodged an official complaint against France for eye-gouging.
Prop Tony Woodcock emerged from the 39-12 win in Marseilles with marks around his eye.
‘There’s no doubt Tony got a facial, that’s how he described it. We asked the citing commissioner to have a look at it and we’ll leave it in his hands,’ All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen told stuff.co.nz. ‘We’re not going moan about it. There’s a process and he’ll have a look at it and if there’s nothing to answer, then we’ll just get on with it.’
November 30th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Donno what to say about this eye gouging Dragon!
November 30th, 2009 at 7:43 am
All just hype?
November 30th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Who’s Heaslip?
See what I did there? I showed that Heaslip is a nobody.
November 30th, 2009 at 7:59 am
I thought cowboys didn’t cry or do the rules change when the Boks lose?
November 30th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Good grief CHANGE THE HEADING!
November 30th, 2009 at 8:13 am
@SpringbokSarah: What did you expect from the Keo clan
November 30th, 2009 at 8:16 am
@Charlie: roflmao well to keep it clean and child friendly and appropriate at the very least
November 30th, 2009 at 8:23 am
@SpringbokSarah: ‘boks finger heaslip’ and ‘tony got a facial’.
sounds like a good porno
November 30th, 2009 at 8:26 am
one can see where sarah’s mind is
November 30th, 2009 at 8:26 am
@the peanut gallery: ok I didn’t see Tony got a facial…
seriously Ryan, you can do that kind of thing in your own time
November 30th, 2009 at 8:27 am
nothing will be done – usual IRB BS!
My only hope is that we develop alternative game plans going forward and have the flexibility to play them during the game. Hopefully we become less than opne dimensional even if it means a couple of losses alnong the way. We won’t compete forevern with this kick and chase plan.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:29 am
@sharks_lover: … oh come on, when you were my age you probably would have thought of the same thing… my eyes practically fell out of their sockets…
g2g, try to keep it clean… I’d hate to come back from school and see a porno site when I log on to keo… sheesh I can barely deal with the viagra ads
November 30th, 2009 at 8:31 am
“There`s no doubt that Tony got a facial”
HA HA HA ..!
November 30th, 2009 at 8:33 am
oh barely look??
that means you do look
anyhows kiddo just teasin ya
November 30th, 2009 at 8:38 am
for sure nothing will happen kesbok
its the reason why i hate the british and ozzies more then any other nation
they always cry foul whilst they contribute the most to indescrestions
the british press full on how dirty we play while they far worse
aussies keep their non whites drunk and poor in little towns while they cried about apartheid
nothing worse then 2 faced twats
english probably caused more wars and **** in the world then any other nation, and then act holier then thou
November 30th, 2009 at 8:45 am
man o man…we sure did miss pierre spies on the weekend.
just imagine what he would have done running off the back of our new-seemingly-dominant scrum.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:48 am
As losers we should be going quietly…
November 30th, 2009 at 8:49 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl: agreed but then again kanko could have done that too
spies and kanko both play well off dominating scrums , it opens the game for them
but yes agreed spies could have made merry
November 30th, 2009 at 8:51 am
@Lions_Soutie: we should be talking super 14 already
November 30th, 2009 at 8:52 am
cant understand why you guys are complaining. this is the team you wanted.
Wynand
Danie
Kanko
November 30th, 2009 at 8:52 am
@ LIONS_SOUTIE I second that mate
November 30th, 2009 at 8:54 am
It’s sad when we get beaten with penalties by a team with ‘the best attacking backline in world rugby’.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:54 am
history has taught us that whenever we go up north on tour, playing a positive brand of rugby has always worked well for us.
we learn very slowly.
or maybe it is the fact that new management always need to learn for themselves?
tri-nations is different. Big defense and playing well from turnover ball is what has worked for us historically.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:56 am
@BOD:
what did Olivier do wrong except for getting passed the ball once in an attacking position?
November 30th, 2009 at 8:57 am
@BOD: noones complaining , just noting what a guy like spies could have done with a dominant scrum in front of them
November 30th, 2009 at 8:58 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl:
In fact, neither of those players did anything wrong this past saturday.
November 30th, 2009 at 9:00 am
@24
Nothing,
No line breaks can’t play fourie into gaps.
no taking the ball over the avantage line.
BOD made two breaks through the midfield
November 30th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I was watching the 2004 game on Espn Classic last night. Even then we were playing more exciting rugby! If it wasn’t for an ankle tap on Percy, Bakkies not passing we could have won.
I read somewhere we are playing the opener next year at the new Landsdown road (has some dodgy commercial name). Hopefully we can persevere
November 30th, 2009 at 9:06 am
I think the core of the team is tired and mentally drained. would be good to see the back fresh next year.
Smit, beast, matfield,fdp, steyn and habana.
November 30th, 2009 at 9:08 am
@SpringbokSarah: sarah you naughty 16yr old!!!!
November 30th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Citing after more than 48 hours?
Did I read correctly
November 30th, 2009 at 9:20 am
@Hondo: Its still not 48 hours?
November 30th, 2009 at 9:21 am
@SpringbokSarah: Haha, they’ve changed it!!
November 30th, 2009 at 9:22 am
@Hondo: its not about the citing ,its about the hypocrisy of the irish,they whinged about it for months and now theres a chance for bok fans to get some payback and do some whinging of our own .
November 30th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Well if he did gouge then will that mean we won ?? Dont think so but the Boks need to get a plan to counter the old “Boks physicality” press release by oppo to get some moral advantage.
November 30th, 2009 at 9:58 am
there’s no moral victory to be taken if heaslip’is cited, that to is sinking into the same bog @ the b&i lions. We lost because our team played like programmed archaic robots…nothing an eye gouging incident would change!
November 30th, 2009 at 10:26 am
@sharks_lover:
Shame you feel hard done by…you need to move on from the boer war.
Simply put…if you have evidence put it forward. This helps to set down a guilty verdict. If non the IRB will try to help out if there cannot be any evidence found.
If none – its a no brainer there wont be any guilty verdict.
Unless Hunter is good at doing photo shop he can add a few little indescretions.
November 30th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Incidentally KEO forgot to mention Bekker planting his knees into Wallaces neck with his back turned and on the ground…..Real big man…..
Oh or good old JP trying to behead Tommy Bowe….
There is a difference with these 2…..THERE IS ACTUAL TV EVIDENCE…..
But keep thinking the world is against South Africa…..It makes for some comical journalism…..
November 30th, 2009 at 10:32 am
@Just Another Paddy: Becker’s instance was inexcusable. JP was penalised with a penalty for that tackle which looked a lot less serious than BOD’s armless tackle on Rosseau during the Lions’ test in SA! Bowe at least came out of the tackle none the worse for wear, while Rosseau was concussed and missed the last test! But well done to your team, you were the more exciting team to watch on the night
November 30th, 2009 at 11:06 am
“an act which could have at worst resulted in paralysis”
Surely this is a bit over-dramatic! If you count everything in all situations that might “at worst resulted in paralysis” on a rugby pitch, Ryan might need a new calculator!!
November 30th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Shaw fell like the awkward big lump he is, it wasn’t deliberate.
Anyway, where is g10? The side with the weakest scrum won….again!
November 30th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Lol! Big Hit, I think it was a case of the Boks not knowing what to do with a strong scrum. If only Big Joe was playing with that go forward scrum
November 30th, 2009 at 11:43 am
For 2010 lets look forward to:
Smit at 2 and well rotated with Bismark
CJ and BJ specialist tight heads
Spies moving to wing
Getting Frans Steyn back
Bringing in Duane Vermeulen
Getting Ruan Pienaar to play fly half permanently for Sharks
Getting a psychiatrist and kicking coach for Ruan Pienaar
The return of Juan Smith
Dropping Morne Steyn
Not wasting time with Chilli, Bandise,Rose,Raubenheimer,the Cheetahs 8th man?, Ryan Kankowski,JP Pietersen
The coach cancelling the end of year tour and allowing key/core players adequate rest ahead of RWC2011
November 30th, 2009 at 11:46 am
JP was lucky, it is the umpteenth time he has given this SLAP to someone face. Someone needs to tell him to STOP IT.
Becker did a stupid knee thing, and Danie Rousouw was harshly penalized. This is what took Irish to 12-10 and 15-10.
Anyway, if Heaslip is caught, then lets see the press headlines? Mark my words, will be a non event.
But he won’t het caught, IRB is old club made up of English, Aussies, New Zealand and few Celts from Wales and Ireland. Paddy O Brian is the poster child: hypocrit, idiot.
SARU have a few seats in IRB but you would never think so.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:48 am
@dr dre: Nice idea for the end of year tour, but instead of cancelling it, send the A team, or Gazzelles as well as a Bok team of youngsters only.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:48 am
@Big Hit: LMAO…big hit you don’t want to start with that one…
November 30th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Sharksgirl it was Steyn penalised for a differenthigh tackle, not Pietersen.I don’t think it was necessarily deliberate. I would just like a bit of objective journalism….
Is it any wonder all this tension is created between the teams with journalism such as this (The Irish media are just as bad). It creates unneccessary bad blood, but I’m just glad most supporters are wise to it as evinced by the cracking atmosphere on Sunday.
The match was a great spectacle and I just hoped the media would focus on this, not on Paul O’Connell learning Afrikan’s or the foul play which occured.
PS. Schalke showed a real set of kahones kicking that ball into the crowd, fair play. Met him in Galway a few years ago and he remains one of my favourite players. Respect to him…..
November 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
@Big Hit: Yes, it seems breakdown and lineout play seem to be under-rated? JS lineout abitlity and height make him better in the lineout and Bissie (when on form) is like an extra fetcher. Lets keep BJ on the bench for insurance, its easy to see when a losing scrum is impacting the game. Put him on early if need be.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:53 am
UncleBen you’re deluded. Alan Quinlan missed the Lions tour because of gouging. You could not have avoided it in the media up here for two weeks.
This notion that the NH ignores the foul play of it’s players is a myth and I don’t know where it comes from.(Although the KEO propaganda machine is surely one source). For another example check the “Bloodgate” scandal which ran all summer and destryed the reputation of one of England’s biggest clubs. It also effectively ended Dean Richard’s management days in spite of the fact that the incident was far from an isolated one in world rugby…..
November 30th, 2009 at 11:55 am
@Big Hit: LOL…Yes…play Smit at 3 …weaken that scrum quick…its vital!!