THE FINAL WHISTLE
MARK KEOHANE: Shocking local referee bias does not go down well
There are so many examples this season of inconsistent use of high-tackle law — with South African referees among the worst offenders
The standard of match officiating in Super Rugby is as mediocre as the overall standard of rugby in the competition. This past weekend was particularly noticeable because of the impact it had on the match in Cape Town between the Stormers and Blues. The Blues were leading 19-10 when the Stormers’ Kiwi recruit Shaun Treeby should have been red carded for a swinging stiff-arm high tackle that knocked out Blues flyhalf Piers Francis. Instead the on-field sanction was a penalty. There was no surprise to the citing commissioner singling out Treeby’s action as a "red card" sanction. The player is likely to be given a month suspension. The South African referee Jaco van Heerden had a shocker, as did South African television match official Shaun Veldsman. Who knows how the match would have unfolded but it always leaves a bad taste that South African officiating always seems to carry such obvious bias. There are so many examples this season of the inconsistency in applying the high-tackle la...
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