As is often the case when the Springboks lose, the referee quickly becomes enemy No 1, and so it was no surprise to see Rassie Erasmus fielding a question about the officiating after Karl Dickson came in for widespread criticism for his officiating in last Saturday’s game against New Zealand.
Dickson was in charge of the clash, and after the match, the SuperSport studio analysts all raised questions about some of his decision-making, while there was a massive outcry on social media.
Supporters were predominantly frustrated with the inconsistent manner in which he officiated the breakdown, how he missed at least one clear forward pass, and ultimately how Dickson seemed to be afraid to make the big calls late in the game when the Springboks were applying pressure.
At the start of this week, when Erasmus was asked about the officiating, and whether he had perhaps made another review video for World Rugby, he took the diplomatic route, despite admitting that pressure might also get to referees.
“Since there’s been protocols in place from 2022, we are comfortable with how we can send stuff (to World Rugby), and how it’s been handled,” Erasmus commented. “We can accept that referees are human, and that pressure might get to them.”
YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE FULL RESPONSE ON THE REFEREE FROM RASSIE ERASMUS BELOW
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