Victor Matfield: It’s time for the coaches to stand up to World Rugby amid red card ‘inconsistency’
Eddie Jones chatting with Rassie Erasmus, and Springboks legend Victor Matfield.
Springboks legend Victor Matfield has slammed the red card handed out to Franco Mostert and has laid the blame at the feet of the game’s governing body.
For the second week in succession, a South African second-row was sent-off for, according to the officials, the shoulder connecting with the head of an opponent.
The Boks were therefore without Mostert for the majority of their match against Italy, but they still managed to seal a 32-14 triumph.
Frustrated Rassie Erasmus
It was a decision which frustrated head coach Rassie Erasmus and was then deemed incorrect by an independent disciplinary panel, who have since rescinded the red card.
“World Rugby is buggering up our game. I was so frustrated in that game against Italy. In that first 40 minutes, every time there’s a stoppage they go to the TMO,” Matfield told the Rivals podcast.
“It’s just crazy where rugby is going at the moment. I just think we need to throw away all cards, go back to penalties and even with a deliberate knock-on, give the penalty try but play 15 on 15.
“All these cards and going back to have a look [at these incidents], we’re killing the game at this stage.
“That red card for South Africa, I could probably show five or six incidents in the other games which were exactly the same and no red card. Everything is inconsistent at the moment.”
Matfield was joined on the show by All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan, who has called on the new World Rugby chair Brett Robinson to show leadership.
“Brett Robinson, who came in and said he was going to make changes, no one’s coming out on a Monday and talking about this. We’re the only people talking about this,” Kirwan said.
“Where is the leadership in World Rugby addressing these problems because it’s continuing to frustrate me.”
What Matfield wants from top coaches
Matfield, meanwhile, wants the coaches to step up and take a stand in an attempt to influence proceedings.
Erasmus and Japan head coach Eddie Jones have both come out and criticised the current laws following their matches at the weekend and it appears as though the former Springboks lock wants to see more of that.
“It’s time for the coaches to stand up and say: ‘Listen, we need to look at this’. We’ve got a lovely game, everyone loves it,” he added.
“If you look at all these games, the people that are at the games want to watch a spectacle, but at the moment the referee is taking it over.”
