Springboks Appeal Lock Pair’s Disciplinary Action

South Africa is hoping to have both Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager available to face Ireland on Saturday, as both locks face disciplinary action.

Mostert received a straight red card for a hazardous tackle on Italy’s Paolo Garbisi, as judged by referee James Doleman, during the Springboks’ 32-14 victory over Italy on Saturday.

De Jager has already been issued a four-match ban after being red-carded in the previous week’s match against France for a high tackle on Thomas Ramos.

In both instances, the second-row forwards were deemed to have committed acts warranting a full red card, and the bunker review process was not utilized.

Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon in Dublin, assistant coach Mzwandile Stick confirmed that they have appealed De Jager’s sanction and that Mostert will face a mandatory World Rugby disciplinary hearing.

“I think he’s going to have a hearing tomorrow or Wednesday, and also Lood de Jager is going through another appeal, but yeah, as a team we are just disappointed with how things are flowing at the moment,” Stick said.

“Every week we are losing players, and it’s sad.

“The build-up to the Italy game was good. If you look at the Italian side, how they played the previous week [beating Australia], and the spirit in Turin.

“Everyone was looking forward to the game, and then for the game to turn the way it did was [disappointing].

“[Because] if you are saying that Franco Mostert’s tackle was a red card over the weekend, if you saw the incidents, surely there should have been more than five red cards.

“All of a sudden, other situations become yellow cards, and we are just disappointed with the way things are being handled at the moment.

“If you look at the actions of Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager the previous week, he has done everything by the book. His only mistake was maybe the contact was here [chest] but it ended up in the head. I don’t understand how that becomes a permanent red card.

“From our side as coaches, we still have to work hard as we’re working with these guys.

“We can see that they’re nice and tall. They try to do everything by the book, but because rugby is a physical game, sometimes you don’t get it perfect.

“For them to say the tackle was ‘never legal,’ it’s disappointing.

“Because of one tackle, like I said, that game could have been a very nice, beautiful game of rugby to watch. Italy deserves respect.”