Bulls director of rugby Jake White believes that an “orange card” may have to be introduced soon following the latest controversial red card in Friday night’s 23-22 United Rugby Championship loss to the Scarlets in Llanelli.
Replacement hooker Johan Grobbelaar was unlucky to be sent off by Italian referee Federico Vedovelli in the 67th minute for supposedly making head contact with Scarlets opposite number Marnus van der Merwe.
The former Cheetahs hooker went down in a heap and received medical attention after the incident, but was quickly up on his feet again to feed another lineout.
It was not clear from the TV replays whether Grobbelaar had made head contact, but referee Vedovelli was adamant that he had, and that there was no mitigation for the Bulls No 16.
It's déjà vu for the Vodacom Bulls in Wales 😲🟥
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 18, 2024
📺 Stream #VURC on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNho4A4 pic.twitter.com/cnnHqwikEU
But following last week’s David Kriel red card being overturned as well, and the conjecture around the introduction of a 20-minute red card in future, White believes an alternative solution must be found for “rugby incidents” compared to deliberate acts of foul play.
“The bottom line is I don’t think that was a red card. I think there were circumstances – which I am obviously not going to share with you,” the former Springbok coach said.
“But I’ve said it before: when there is someone malicious and it’s off-the-ball and it’s genuinely a red card, then we must never take that away from rugby. There is no place in rugby for that.
“But there are things that happen in rugby that aren’t necessary. The red card was put there for that exact reason, when it’s dirty, malicious, premeditated.
“The red card was never put in place for rugby incidents to take place. That’s why I said: ‘Is it a rugby incident?’, and if yes, then it becomes a very different outcome.
“If you start ‘Is it foul play?’, which is the way that it’s done, then you are going to get a different outcome.
“Someone asked me about the 20-minute red card – and now what will happen is that you will get an orange card, because the orange is closer to red, and it’s not a yellow.
“Then, what we could do is yellow is yellow is 10, orange is 15 and red is 20 – and I don’t think that makes it easier for a referee. I think it makes it more difficult.
“A red card is simple: you were out of line. It’s something that looks unnatural, it’s something that stands out and there’s no reason for you to keep that guy on the field.
“That’s just a late-night Friday evening resume of what I’m thinking is going to happen.
“But I will look at (the Grobbelaar incident) and I will fight for the player, because players don’t want red cards next to their names.”
But White stated that his team had more than enough opportunities to close out the victory, after a rampant first-half display that saw them lead 19-7 after 30 minutes following tries by Canan Moodie, Zak Burger and Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Instead, the Bulls will head to Italy now to face Benetton in Treviso next Friday night (8.35pm start) hoping to end off the tour with a win, while White will have to deal with Grobbelaar’s disciplinary hearing.
“The bottom line is that we were good enough to win that game, and it should never have gone down to that situation in the first place,” the Bulls boss said.
“We turned the ball over a couple of times in their 22, lost a couple of lineouts – turned it over at lineout-time, lost it in the maul. And then when they got into our 22, they finished.
“It’s tough to win away from home, on the road... That’s why they call it bonus points, that’s why you’ve got to work so hard.
“I said before the game that the Scarlets are not as poor as everyone makes them out to be. They might have struggled last year, but they had lots of injuries and have signed some props and some big back-rowers now.
Jake White is not looking for any excuses as the Vodacom Bulls lose their 100% record in the #VURC 🗣🏉
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 18, 2024
“They’ve always had good backs, so it was always going to be a tough game. But again I say, at certain points in the game, we should’ve finished them off and we didn’t.
“But I’ve got to give credit. They’ve played well this whole season, against Benetton and Cardiff twice, and were unlucky to lose the first one. They will be better.
“They didn’t go away – they kept fighting and fighting... Some harder than others – some fell down quicker!
“Well, I seem to spend most of my week with the judiciary meetings, which is not helping the coaching!
“I said after the (David Kriel) hearing that one thing I’m really chuffed about is that the URC has grown, and that it’s not guilty and if you challenge us, it’s more guilty.
“There’s a genuine understanding that because we are so aware of those things, there will be a realistic chance – if you have a case – to actually present it.”
Points-Scorers
Bulls 22 – Tries: Canan Moodie, Zak Burger, Kurt-Lee Arendse. Conversions: Boeta Chamberlain (2). Penalty: Chamberlain (1).
Scarlets 23 – Tries: Josh MacLeod, Blair Murray, Tom Rogers. Conversions: Ioan Lloyd (1). Penalties: Lloyd (1), Sam Costelow (1).