Read more
WATCH: Wallabies skipper Slipper on THAT slap, Genia blasts officials
'Two scrumhalves going at it,' is how the incident has been laughed off.
Referee Paul Williams talks to Faf de Klerk of the Springboks before giving him a yellow card. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
While Wallabies skipper James Slipper didn’t see the incident live, he has responded to the incident between Faf de Klerk and Nic White during last weekend’s Test match by saying it is just two scrumhalves having a go at each other.
The incident late in the first half of the Rugby Championship Test in Adelaide last Saturday has had rugby fans on social media in a tizz this week.
ALSO READ: Nienaber on Korobeite tackle, Faf’s yellow card, poor finishing
White has been called out for his play-acting, after De Klerk accidentally made contact with his face when he appeared to have a go at the ball at a ruck.
White reacted by clutching his face in apparent pain and falling to the ground. De Klerk got a yellow card for the slap.
The Wallaby’s “Oscar-performance” was widely criticised on the social media with former Bok captain John Smit saying, “Yellow 9 just killed a little piece of rugby’s soul today.”
Memes and gifs and all sorts of other funny pokes at White’s behaviour have done the rounds this week.
Slipper, who led the Wallabies to a 25-17 win in Adelaide, said after the match: “I was in the scrum and didn’t even know what happened. Halfbacks are characters, there’s always talking,” he said.
“It’s two halfbacks going at each other. It’s interesting.”
This video is no longer available.
But while White’s acting has been largely criticised, and so, too, De Klerk’s silly behaviour, former Wallaby scrumhalf Will Genia has opted to call out the match officials.
Writing for theroar.com.au, Genia, who played over 100 Tests at scrumhalf for the Wallabies, says: “For me, the officials are the ones who should be feeling the heat.
“I can understand why there has been criticism of what Whitey did, and to some extent believe it’s warranted. Faf just made a mistake. But the refereeing of that incident was ridiculous and had a dramatic and unnecessary impact on the game.
“The referees have to be able to make a decision based on being out there – seeing and understanding the circumstances.
What are we playing? Are we playing touch?”
Read the full column here.
The Boks and Wallabies clash again this Saturday, in Sydney. The Bok team named on Tuesday for the match shows eight changes in the starting XV from the side that ran out in Adelaide.
