Linesman fired from Tri-Nations
South African linesman Cobus Wessels has been fired from the 2010 Tri-Nations cup and will not run the line in the upcoming match between the Australian Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks this weekend.
Wessels was responsible for suggesting that Australian winger Drew Mitchell be given a yellow card for a late tackle on New Zealand captain Richie McCaw. Later in the match Mitchell received a second yellow card for swatting the ball away. The second yellow disqualified Mitchell from the rest of the match and put Australia a man down for the final half-hour of the game.
The timing could not have been worse as Australia was beginning to push back against the New Zealand defence, looking to finally make some headway, and perhaps get themselves back in the game.
However, the sending-off crippled the Australian attack and gave the All Blacks full run of the field.
Mitchell had been playing a particularly strong game up to that point, scoring Australia’s first try early in the match.
Mitchell was spared any extra punishment after appearing in front of the SANZAR disciplinary board.
The issue of the first yellow was addressed by the International Rugby Board, who came to the conclusion that Wessels should be removed from the tournament.
IRB Chief Paddy O’Brien had this to say about the boards ruling: “If anything it's lucky to be a penalty. McCaw off loads as he’s about to collide with Drew Mitchell, who puts his hands out and pushes him away. So there’s no way it’s a yellow card offence. As a result of that Australia went without a player for 30 minutes and that just shouldn’t have happened.”
The decision comes in the wake of South African head coach Peter De Villiers being summoned to the board after saying that the officials were favouring New Zealand in order to create more hype around Rugby World Cup, which is to be held there next year.
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