Fans were left fuming at full-time of the South African derby between the Stormers and Sharks after Jean-Luc du Plessis escaped a card for his clear-out on Andre Esterhuizen.
Tensions were high during the URC clash in Cape Town in what was a closely fought encounter. The Stormers looked to have taken a stronghold in the match when Paul de Wet darted over for a try that would have put the hosts ahead in the 47th minute.
However, the try was ruled out after a lengthy delay as both Aphelele Fassi and Andre Esterhuizen were carted off the pitch.
Jean-Luc du Plessis’ clearout
During this time, TMO Marius Jonker alerted referee Aimee Barret-Theron of a potential foul play in the build-up to the try, which led to Esterhuizen’s injury.
At a breakdown in the build-up to the score, replacement Stormers‘ back Du Plessis had flown into the ruck and made contact with the lower limbs of Esterhuizen.
Barrett deemed that his actions reached the threshold of foul play and ruled out the Stormers’ try, awarding the Sharks a penalty instead. However, she did not deem the Stormers back’s actions warranted further sanction.
“On that replay, I don’t think he has directly targetted the lower limbs,” Barret-Theron explained before the official review.
“It’s just a little bit clumsy but it’s not foul play for me.”
However, she changed her mind after officially reviewing the incident with the TMO and her officiating team.
“From that initial picture, I can see his arm is tucked underneath him and he is not looking to make a legal clean out, he is diving,” she explained.
“It’s more that a plane crashing as opposed to a plane taking off and that’s not the picture we want to see, it’s ended in a potential injury for the Sharks player.”
She added: “At this stage, we are looking at cancelling that try for this foul play. Marius, we are going with a penalty only?” With the TMO replying ‘yes’.
Reaction
Springboks and Sharks captain Siya Kolisi asked if warranted a further sanction as he came in “on full pace” but the officials disagreed and that decision proved crucial as Du Plessis would go on to score the match-winning try as the Stormers went on to claim a 24-20 victory.
The decision clearly hit a cord with fans who bemoaned the call.
“Should be a red card. No control, absolutely awful challenge,” one remark on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Another fan felt that Shannon Frizell ‘got a card in the WC final for less than that’ while others believed that it was the kind of challenge that ends careers.
“Sharks fans would be rightly unhappy that he was still on the pitch scoring the match-winner at 79mins,” another remarked.
While one onlooker wrote: “This deserves a red. To think this oak goes and scores the winning try makes it so much worse.”
One comment read: “Can you imagine the outcry if this was an international player on a Bok. This is a disgusting challenge and only intended to injure Esterhuizen.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/stormers-stars-disgusting-challenge-injures-springbok-before-he-scores-match-winner-against-sharks
