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Springboks red: 'It's a quickly made decision, the right decision'

(Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The match-winning Springboks finished their round one Rugby Championship victory with 14 players after rookie winger Kurt-Lee Arendse – a first-half try-scorer in the 26-10 triumph – was red-carded in the 75th minute after taking Beauden Barrett out in the air.

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An overcooked box kick from sub scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse into the All Blacks 22 with the score at 19-3 left the 26-year-old Arendse, who was making just his second Test appearance, with too much ground to make up to properly contest the ball in the air against Barrett and he instead ended up arriving into the jump late.

His intervention toppled over the aerial Barrett and left the All Blacks out-half landing on his head, giving referee Angus Gardner a straightforward decision to make when he reviewed the footage with his television match official and fellow Australian, Brett Cronan, with the clock stopped on 74:26.

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“Siya (Kolisi), we need to have a look so if you could go back and give space, we will have a full review. Thanks, mate,” began Gardner, who started his review with the respective team medics already on the pitch treating both Arendse and Barrett for the injuries they had sustained.

“I have got a decision. What is the number?” continued Gardner in conversion with Cronan, who answered, “It is No14.”

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On hearing this, Gardner announced: “No14 is never in a realistic position to contest. He has taken out the No10 in the air. No10 has landed dangerously. It’s a red card.” With that, he brandished the red card in the direction of Arendse, who was still lying on the ground being treated by the Springboks medics. “It’s a quickly made decision, it’s the right decision,” reckoned the South African SuperSport commentary team. “He was going at full tilt and realised he had no realistic opportunity.”

Arendse required five minutes of treatment before he was driven away on a motorised medical cart wearing a neck brace while Barrett was able to walk off the field. The incident was the second lengthy stoppage in the match for injury as proceedings had earlier been halted for more than six minutes after Faf de Klerk was knocked out when tackling Caleb Clarke in the first minute.

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There had been much talk about red cards in the lead-up to the Rugby Championship opener as the laws had been altered from last month’s series of northern hemisphere versus southern hemisphere matches.

Whereas a red card last month, as happened when the All Blacks played Ireland in their second Test, left them down to 14 players for the remainder of the match, the Rugby Championship had reduced the red card punishment to a 20-minute period, after which the punished team could bring on a replacement to replace the red-carded player.

This substitution didn’t happen in the case of Arendse, though, as there were just five minutes remaining after he was sent off.

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11 Comments
R
Raymond 819 days ago

As a rugby winger, I can say, What people forget is that you when you are a charging a kick, with your eye on the ball, at probably something approaching 25 mph and have only about a little warning of five yards to avoid hitting somebody once you see he has jumped. Not so easy man.

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Rob 819 days ago

What happened when he took Jodie out with the same malicious act that his brother Scott was pleading to the sideline official for, absolutely nothing.
Agree guy needs to be suspended...

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Phil 820 days ago

This wasn't the first incident in that match .Putting that aside, we will see what the judiciary rules.

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Euan 820 days ago

He should get three months minimum for that. It looked deliberate.

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Chris 821 days ago

There is going to be a tragic accident soon that will destroy a young man's life. The rules should be changed to stop players jumping in the air in general play to take high balls.
Or making it illegal for the team kicking the ball to contest in the air.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
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