Springboks Exploit the Law – But Why Didn’t the Ref Blow the Whistle?

In this video, we break down a couple of crucial moments from the Springboks vs Italy 2nd Test, where South Africa clearly exploited the laws of rugby — and somehow got away with it.

The main issue in this game revolves around the so-called "innovation" of Rassie Erasmus, where the Springboks tried some new tactics. The biggest one was a lineout-style move created in open play — a setup that is difficult to stop and, more importantly, illegal, as it constitutes a flying wedge. This is due to players being pre-bound before contact. Yet, this infringement was completely missed by the referee, TMO, and both assistant referees — something that simply should not happen at international level.

The other major moment came right from the opening kickoff, where the Springboks deliberately tried to force a scrum by not kicking the ball 10 meters. The issue here is that it's illegal for a player or team to intentionally infringe any law of the game. In this case, Libbok intentionally didn’t kick it 10 meters, and André Esterhuizen not only prevented the ball from traveling the required distance but was also miles offside — yet again, this was missed by the entire officiating team.

We also go over the Jasper Wiese red card, which was pretty clear-cut. You can’t do that in rugby — especially not at international level where every angle and replay is available. If you headbutt someone, it’s a straight red. Simple as that.

Finally, I show two missed foul play incidents involving Marco van Staden, both of which were clear and obvious — but somehow ignored by the officials.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Flying Wedge
02:04 – Intentional Infringement
02:49 – Jasper Wiese Red Card
03:30 – Missed Foul Play


Officiating Team:
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (RFU), Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Television Match Official: Tual Trainini (FFR)

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