OPINION:
What is it about Durban and cards?
Maybe it's the grass they use, or perhaps it's the humidity, but when players head on to King's Park stadium they seem intent on testing the referee's card waving abilities.
The Crusaders' Easter clash with the Sharks was no different.
Three Crusaders players were penalised with yellow cards in the space of a couple of minutes, before Sharks loose forward Jean Deysel upped the ante by earning a red.
Were those calls fair? Was referee Stuart Berry correct in producing the cards?
Nepo Laulala, Kieron Fonotia shoulder charges – 36th, 38th minutes
Things were going so well for the Crusaders with halftime drawing close. Up 28-3, the Crusaders were cruising to victory, but seemingly wanted to make their run home a little harder.
In the space of two minutes, Nepo Laulala and Kieron Fonotia were both given a mid-match smoko break by referee Berry after their arms turned to jelly while trying to make tackles.
First up was Laulala, hammering SP Marais with a brutal blow from his right shoulder.
Berry played a penalty advantage for a late tackle, but his assistant let him know it was a no-arms tackle and needed a closer look.
World Rugby rule book, rule 10.4 (g) Dangerous charging, states: "A player must not charge or knock down an opponent carrying the ball without trying to grasp that player."
The rule even has a video link showing Sonny Bill Williams shoulder charging his old mate Quade Cooper. It seems pretty clear what the offence is.
The penalty for such an offence is a yellow card.
There was no arguing from Laulala or Crusaders captain Kieran Read, and out came Laulala's naughty chair on the sideline.
Fonotia missed the lesson though because a minute later he was sent from the field for an identical offence.
Jean Deysel ran the ball and Fonotia sized him up before bringing him down by drilling his shoulder into the big South African.
Fonotia seemed perplexed by the yellow card decision. It's hard to know why.
Berry made the right call on both occasions.
Nemani Nadolo yellow card – 40th minute
With only 13 men on the field, the Crusaders were under the pump with the Sharks hot on attack inside their 22m line.
Referee Berry had a penalty advantage for the Sharks after Ryan Crotty committed a high tackle, and when the Crusaders won the ball from the next ruck, he blew his whistle.
Nadolo then launched an admittedly beautiful deep kick into the Sharks half, but all that did was capture Berry's attention.
After calling Read and Nadolo over and pulling his card wallet from his pocket, here's what Berry had to say.
"Penalty, it's quick ball for them, a clear opportunity for them to play quick, [Nadolo's] then chosen to kick it away, you leave me no option."
That's when he raised the yellow card.
Read tried to argue that the ball was already too far from the play meaning the Sharks had no chance at a clear opportunity for quick play.
Nadolo claimed he didn't hear the whistle. Either way, Berry's decision was sound.
Rule 10.4 (m) Acts contrary to good sportsmanship, states: "A player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship in the playing enclosure."
That's where Nadolo's offence sits, and the punishment is a warning or a yellow card.
Given two yellows had already been dished out, Berry had probably had enough and a warning was out of the question.
It was a blatant attempt to waste time from Nadolo.
The proof in that is he had about 80 metres of open pasture in front of him when he kicked the ball.
Tell me Nadolo wouldn't usually have backed himself to run and score a try?
Jean Deysel red card – 41st minute
There's a special rule in the World Rugby handbook for knees to an opponent's head.
Rule 10.4 (a) Punching or striking, states: "A player must not strike an opponent with the fist or arm, including the elbow, shoulder, head or knee(s)."
When Deysel decided to drop his knee onto an opponent's head, Berry had only one option.
Deysel was sent for an early shower, and quite rightly.
