Loose Pass: ‘Nutsgate’ saga unlikely to rest soon and with good reason as it is ‘simply not right’
Bulls forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels was given a nine-week ban.
This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with balls and other November storylines…
So what happened?
Rarely can there have been a storyline so consistently delicately-worded that concerned an act which would usually – and in this case did – elicit words and actions of a decidedly indelicate nature in return.
But Jan-Hendrik Wessels‘ ‘did he, didn’t he’ saga is unlikely to rest soon, and with good reason.
The game does its best. You can say what you like about the prevalence of TV cameras and endless TMO interruptions, but you watch a game now and weigh it up against highlights of games 25 years ago and you would be staggered at the progress made in stamping out excessive or gratuitous danger and barbarism, not to mention bringing those who would still indulge in such to account. Indeed, some would say, given the confusing and draconian rules around head contact, that we’re still a wee bit too far the other way.
But you cannot see everything. And this is where questions need to start being asked.
It has been highlighted during the whole ‘nutsgate’ furore that rugby’s beaks’ verdicts are to be awarded “on the balance of probabilities” and that “this is a lesser standard than proof ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ applied in criminal cases.”
Fair enough perhaps; it was not all that long ago that simply ridiculous amounts of resource were being poured into getting QCs or similar to get away from those laborious murder and assault investigations and finally do some real work to ensure that rugby players are not slapped on the wrist too hard, if at all.
But proportionality should sometimes apply for more egregious acts – or accusations thereof – and re-arranging a player’s crown jewels falls squarely into that category, especially when the actual evidence is close to non-existent.
At no moment during the ruck do we see Wessels’ meaty paw close around Murphy’s delicates. At no moment do we see the forearm muscles tense up. At no moment do we see anything, in fact, other than a clearly-incensed Murphy lash out and Wessels’ arm in a strange position. So something probably happened. But nothing can reasonably be seen, or even assumed in terms of intent and/or action. At this moment, Citing Commissioner Peter Ferguson ought to have helped us all move on. Instead, he allowed himself to be swayed by a chat with Murphy after the game.
Exclusive: Full details emerge of Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ ban and Josh Murphy’s role in it
Revealed: What Josh Murphy said to the citing commissioner over alleged Jan-Hendrik Wessels ‘grope’
So now we have a player whose reputation is heavily tarnished, who will miss out on some significant income and who is prevented from working for two months, on little more than the basis of his accuser’s word. Mr. Ferguson made his case upon the words of Murphy after the game (it should be made explicit here, nothing in this column is intended to say or infer that Murphy was lying). From that moment on, Wessels was doomed, guilty until proven innocent. That simply is not right.
Rugby’s disciplinary processes do not need phalanxes of lawyers descending upon them, but nor do we need kangaroo courts. Punches, stamps, tip tackles and all the other occasional excesses of the 80 minutes are usually pretty open-and-shut procedures. But for those moments when both crime and punishment are far beyond those thresholds, it would be good to have a process thorough enough to reflect the gravity of the matter. This has not happened here and it must be corrected.
November storylines
England – An instructive autumn as the World Cup begins to loom. There was a sense of an upwardly-mobile progress curve both in the last Six Nations and with the newbies’ performances in Argentina in July. Australia, New Zealand and Argentina are all stiff Tests, while there is nothing easy about Fiji any more. Australia on Saturday, after a particularly bruising Prem weekend, will be a pivotal match, but win that and the wave of confidence will be highly surfable for the rest of the month.
France – Another trimmed window, with the grudge match against South Africa on November 8 the clear highlight. It’s yet another squad with new faces and restricted by numerous injuries, not least in the scrum where four tighthead props are unavailable. Yet Fabien Galthie is a master at bringing potential to fruition and France’s stocks have repeatedly been proven to be deep.
Scotland – The feeling is that a generation is reaching its zenith in terms of age and potential. Most of the players in an anticipated starting XV are close to 30; many will have slithered over that mark by the next World Cup. The USA will provide a handy warm-up before a proper tilt at New Zealand and Argentina. Beating the All Blacks might be a step too far still, but a win over Argentina would reassure fans that the team is still progressing.
Wales – It says a lot about the state of rugby in the principality that beating Japan on November 15 is not in any way guaranteed. In Steve Tandy they have a coach who is already known and trusted and who does not face the pressure of his big-name predecessors, while retaining Matt Sherratt as the attack coach is nice continuity to the flashes of progress shown. Louis Rees-Zammit returns too, while there is a fortunate lack of injury issues around the squad. Beating Japan will be a must. Beyond that, not repeating the capitulation to England in the Six Nations will be the minimum.
Ireland – A good November will be crucial to quell the growing disquiet at the perceived Leinster domination of all things green. To the naked eye, the November squad selection appeared more to have been long pre-planned than a true assessment of current form among the provinces. The opening game against New Zealand is critical, so staging it in Chicago and giving up all manner of home advantage might be a shot in the foot.
Italy – The Azzurri are playing better rugby than at perhaps any time since accession to the Six Nations in 2000 and will surely have a shot at an upset against potentially second-string South Africa and/or Australia teams. Interesting might be to see if their own second string is blooded against Chile and how they fare, as strength in depth in Italy is not yet a thing.
New Zealand – As with the opposition, the opening game against Ireland in Chicago will be critical. Scott Robertson’s time as head coach has been plagued with inconsistency and the sense of disquiet within the coaching ranks has popped up too often for it to be coincidence. Razor has plenty of credit in the bank, but recent wins over Australia will not have banished the memory of being annihilated by South Africa. A slip against either of Ireland or England will not help; a clean November sweep definitely would.
Australia – Joe Schmidt’s swansong as Australia coach will be with the team in an indisputably better position than it was when he found it at the start of 2024; it could have been even better had a couple of things gone their way during the Lions series. France, England, Italy and Ireland await a team that can attack you from all angles and has built in a streetwisdom during matches far superior to many opponents. A win against Italy should be non-negotiable, but nicking at least two of the other three would be a fitting send-off for Schmidt.
South Africa – Indisputably the world’s number one team at the moment, it is difficult to see the Boks not sweeping clean in November. Losses have been learned from, while the thrashing of New Zealand in August was an era-defining level of physicality, execution and good decision-making. A new generation is on an upward curve, while the influence of Tony Brown on the playing style has seen evolution in spades. The clash with Ireland on November 22 should be the number one game of the month.
Argentina – Infuriatingly inconsistent, Los Pumas continue to wow on attack on occasion but prove far too leaky and indisciplined in defence for the attacking prowess to count for much. Wales ought to be polished off, but Scotland will be a benchmark Test and England on November 23 will be the ultimate target.
The others – Lest we forget, the final place at the Rugby World Cup is up for grabs in Dubai from November 8-18, with either of Namibia or Samoa in danger of missing out for the first time in 28 and 36 years respectively. In contrast to that, either of Belgium or Brazil could end up the new items on the menu in Australia in 2027. Georgia have a surprisingly easy schedule, but the match against Japan on November 22 will be important. Canada, fresh from re-emerging from World Cup wilderness, make an interesting tour of the three sub-Six Nations European qualifiers in Georgia, Portugal and Romania. Japan will stir up memories of a decade ago when they face South Africa (although Wembley will be a little larger than the Amex); South Africa followed by Ireland is a tough ask for Eddie Jones’ men. Fiji will ask their usual awkward questions of England and France, while Chile get a shot at Italy after Samoa’s unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign.
It all adds up to as fascinating a month of international rugby as there has been for some time. Fill the fridges and strap yourselves in!
