Another week and another disciplinary headache. More frustration and a never-ending lack of clarity of what is a red card and what not.
Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White admitted he will spend a large part of his week this week focusing on the disciplinary process for hooker Johan Grobbelaar, who was inexplicably red carded for head contact during the Bulls 23-22 loss to the Scarlets on Friday night.
It is unclear when the hearing for Grobbelaar will take place, but it is likely to be Tuesday or Wednesday and after last week’s disciplinary hearing overturned the red card given to David Kriel, it is understandable White has been more than frustrated at the lack of consistency given to the cards in the last few matches.
RED CARD OVERSHADOWED LOSS
While the red card to Grobbelaar overshadowed the Bulls loss, and there are other concerns they need to deal with, the red card debate is becoming more of a lottery than a vehicle to protect players from head trauma, and with interpretations swinging to both sides of the pendulum every week, it is understandable that coaches get frustrated with the inconsistency.
On Friday night the Italian referee Federico Vedovelli ignored three other incidents that could easily be cards in other games - scrumhalf Zak Burger took a shot to the face in a tackle that was ruled only a penalty, while lock Cobus Wiese was floored by a no-arms shoulder charge that deserves another look.
And then, moments before sending Grobbelaar off, Boeta Chamberlain was hit in the face as he went to ground catching a ball and the referee decided it wasn’t even worth a second look.
While Grobbelaar did make head contact, he was passive in the tackle and in the Sharks-Glasgow game the next day a similar tackle was given a yellow and nothing more. If the Bulls do get this red card downgraded or overturned, then the URC will have to have a massive look at its internal processes as two weeks in a row their officials would have got it horribly wrong.
WHITE DIDN’T BELIEVE IT WAS RED
White said they would oppose the card at the automatic judiciary that comes with the colour of the card, and made it clear he didn’t believe it was a red card at all.
“I mean, the bottom line is I don't think that was a red card. I think there were circumstances which I'm obviously not going to share with you,” White said.
“And I said it before. I think when there's someone that is malicious and it's off the ball and it's genuinely a red card, then we must never take that away from rugby. I mean, there's no place in rugby for that.
“But there are things that happen in rugby that aren't necessary. I mean, the red card was put there for that exact reason. It was because it's dirty and because it's malicious and because it's premeditated and because it's a red card. It wasn't ever put in place for rugby incidents to take place.
“I mean, that's why I said if we start with a thing, is it a rugby incident? Yes. Well, then it becomes very different to the outcome. If you start as a foul play, which is the way that it's done, well, then you're going to get a different outcome.
“So I said it this week. Someone asked me about the red card for 20 minutes. You know, now what will happen is you'll get an orange card because the orange is closer to red and it's not yellow.
“So then what we could do is go yellow, 10, orange is 15 and red is 20. And I don't think that makes it easier for a referee. But I think it makes it more difficult. A red card is simple. It's red. You were out of line. It looks unnatural. It's something that stands out. And there's no reason for you to keep that guy on the field.”
PROTECTING HIS PLAYERS
White added that he would fight for Grobbelaar because of what he saw as an unjust red card.
“But to answer your question, I will look at that and I will fight for the player. Because the one thing you must also understand, and I'm talking a lot, but players don't want red cards next to their name.
“They don't want, when you look at his record, that he's got red cards. And it doesn't matter whether you go, okay, I accept the red, because it never goes away. And so if it's not a red, or you genuinely think you need to protect the player, that's also part of what the coaches, the staff, and I suppose the judiciary need to work on, is that we don't just want to accept that it's a red card and then that poor player over his period of time.
“Because the next thing that happens, when he gets a legitimate red card, they're going to say, well, we can't let you off because you've got a history of red cards. So that is why I think players are also very conscious of not just accepting that it's a red card.”
White called on officials to find a middle of the road solution that would suit most cases, especially with the trend of players trying to milk a card. On Friday night former Cheetahs hooker Marnus van der Merwe went down clutching his head and despite his howls of supposed pain was up 30 seconds later showing no effects, and didn’t leave the field for a head injury assessment, prompting claims that he was acting to get the desired result.
“There's so much debate now. There's red cards for 20 minutes, there's head contact, there's gum guards that are coming out, there's, you know. So I mean, you've got to find the middle road.
STRICT ON HEAD CONTACT
“Your players lie down all the time if they get knocked, then you've got a risk of losing them next week with HIA. And I think people, that's what makes it so difficult. We must be very strict on head contact. We must be. I've got sons that play rugby. You don't want a situation where you neglect that.
“But it's a difficult one because it is a game where people run hard at each other and there's so little time to get it right and get it wrong. But I'm not the guy that makes all that. I can only control the things I can.
“It is difficult every week. Isaw things tonight that would have been fine last week, and I saw things tonight that wouldn't have been good enough last week. So that is why I suppose it's so frustrating for a coach.”
White said he would never coach a player to try and milk a card, and was emphatic about it.
“I will never, ever coach a player to lie down and try and influence a decision. That's my thoughts. I've been coaching a long time and I would never, ever encourage anything like that.”
The Bulls now head to Italy to face a resurgent Benetton in their final game of the tour.