1 Week Ban for

for Flip Flop.

Springbok lock Flip van der Merwe has been suspended for one week and will miss Saturday's Test against the All Blacks in Johannesburg.

A SANZAR judicial hearing found Van der Merwe guilty of contravening Law 10.4(e) Dangerous Tackling, which also constituted a breach of Law 10.4 (a) Striking after he was cited during a match at the weekend in The Rugby Championship.

The incident occurred in the 39th minute of the match between South Africa and Australia at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

The SANZAR judicial hearing was held via video conference on Monday.

In his finding, Nicholas Davidson ruled the following:

The player was initially sin-binned for a dangerous tackle but the citing alleged a deliberate striking. After hearing from the player's counsel, the player and Ian Schwartz, the Springbok manager.

The judicial officer concluded that this was a breach of Law 10.4 (e) as a dangerous tackle executed high and leading with the forearm and without any attempt to grasp the player in the initial contact. It was also a strike under Law 10.4 (a) but not intentional as cited. Mike Mika, a former professional player, assisted the judicial officer.

Van der Merwe has a good disciplinary record at international and Super Rugby level and has never before been suspended.

Schwartz spoke extremely well of him as a player and a personality in the game. Although breach was denied, the judicial officer concluded that his record and conduct including a concerned approach to the Australian player (Joe Tomane) warranted a discount to a one-week suspension only. 

 Bean Brain try to keep a full contingent of yarpies on the field on Saturday as you've already used up that 14 man excuse card, the persecution card and the victim card .

Somehow i doubt whether those neanderthol forwards of yours will be able to help themselves and try some cheap shot - brains not being you yarpies strong point.

Remember discipline is yr weakness -you can play hard (like the ABs) without playing dirty.

Problem, is that  Meyer will select the less-impressive Kruger to start and will put Du Toit on the bench.   Kruger just does not make the grade as an international lock.   He has no grunt at all and his line out performance is questionable.   Du Toit should be in the starting line up and oppose Retallick - whose line out skills is limited in any event.   With Etzebeth opposing Whitelock and Du Toit opposing Retallick - we will have good line out Jumpers that could take the All Black throw ins at line outs and that will force the All Blacks to use Read as their only really effective line out jumper.   Pity we do not have a player that can jeopardise that strategy by the All Blacks in line outs as well.

With Kruger around that would not be the case.    

This is so typical. When Flip Flop came on the scene I coined the name Flip Flop.....to me he seemed an ordinary player with a penchant for giving away stupid penalties, and clumsy defence. I warned he would one day give away a penalty that would lose a test....with his silly elbow on Saturday, he may in fact have given away the RC, time will tell.

But oddly I think he is a loss for Saturday. Up till the infraction he had played his best Bok test....adding grunt to the pack. Fortunately with an athlete like Etzebeth available, we have enough capacity to deal with Flip's inability to soar in the lineouts. I questioned Meyer on this but he was right, they are a powerful combination.

I have no problem starting Kruger against Oz, but against NZ he inhibits our strategy of dominating the tight exchanges. If we had another decent loose forward available, perhaps we could have started Alberts at lock. But who would replace him Kolisi or Coetzee? Those two just aren't test flanks. As for Stephanie he is for next year, it would be a gamble to start him, especially as he hasn't played much rugby for four months. And Meyer doesn't strike me as a gambler.

So the loss of Flip Flop is big.....and I would never have thunk it.

Mozart

Alberts is a non-factor in any position he plays in.   He is not a lock - as he is useless in line outs.   We should in fact try him out as a prop - maybe he is of value there since he definitely is not a loosie of value.

Your constant unwarranted attacks on Du Toit is not justified at all.   He is definitely a better line out jumper and he is athletic - which none of our loosies are.  And he has got grunt - which Kruger lacks completely.

We need good ball handlers amongst our forwards.  Etzebeth has that ability and so has Bismarck and Strauss - but our loosies do not have much ability in that component of the game.   So we actually need another player with that ability and that player is definitely Du Toit.      

Mozart

The mans name is not  Stephanie - so please stop that bit of mischief.  

Mozart

The mans name is not  Stephanie - so please stop that bit of mischief.  

Pffffffffffffff....eina. That hurt! And twice nogal, the old coot is really steamed up about this.