Crusaders cleared of foul play
9 Apr 2012
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has demanded an apology from the Bulls after eye-gouging allegations against his team couldn’t be substantiated by the Super Rugby citing commissioner.
Bulls forwards Chiliboy Ralepelle and Flip van der Merwe complained to referee Jaco Peyper that they had been eye-gouged during their match in Pretoria, won 32-30 by the Bulls. Peyper used a white card to refer the incidents to the citing commissioner.
According to reports in New Zealand, the commissioner has reviewed the video footage of the incidents in question and found the Crusaders not guilty.
‘The citing commissioner has reviewed it and after that review there was nothing in the video footage that would point to the allegation being substantiated,’ Sanzar chief executive Greg Peters said.
‘The citing commissioner also found it interesting that the Bulls did not follow through with a complaint within the four-hour window after the game.’
After the game, Blackadder said he was ‘bemused’ at the allegations and demanded an apology if they were found to be incorrect. Following the citing commissioner’s ruling and after looking at the footage, the Crusaders coach wonders why the Bulls would have made such claims.
‘The first one with Chiliboy, you would expect that the player would come out of the breakdown holding his eye, but he certainly didn’t. I wonder whether it was a negative ploy.’
Captain Kieran Read also said that he was disappointed with the Bulls for accusing the Crusaders of such tactics.
‘Initially I was really surprised at the allegations,’ he said. ‘It has now come out that there’s no case to answer.
‘It’s a kick in the guts to us because we’re men of integrity and it’s no surprise that it’s turned out the way it has.’
692 Comments
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9 Apr 2012, 22:40 pm
Pretoria – The Bulls will not agree to a demand from Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder that they need to apologise after no evidence of eye-gouging was found by Sanzar’s judiciary system, High Performance and Media Manager Ian Schwartz said on Monday.
Blackadder told a post-match media briefing in Pretoria on Saturday that he expected an apology from the Bulls – a statement he repeated to the New Zealand media – should the allegations proved to be false.
According to Sanzar, no evidence on the matter could be sourced via video material available.
Sanzar CEO Greg Peters said there was no evidence to substantiate the claims after it was fully reviewed by the citing commissioner (Freek Burger) and the video evidence did not support any further action being taken.
“The Bulls are not interested in getting into a public spat with the Crusaders, as we always had the greatest respect for them and a very cordial relationship,” Schwartz said.
The Bulls are standing their ground on claims made by the players.
“The rules are clear and we applied them 100 percent correctly. We had the right to raise the matter with the referee and we accept the fact that there was no video evidence.”
He stressed that the Bulls’ players’ integrity is above reproach.
“I just want to say that our players’ integrity is just as important to us, as the Crusaders’ players integrity is to them. I feel the players will not make unfounded accusations unless something has happened.”
No apology will be extended.
“For them to suggest we must now apologise, just because there is no video evidence available, would mean we have lied. It is ridiculous to suggest that every time there is a citing and there is not enough evidence, the other team should apologise. It is a pity they have raised the matter through the media, as our doors of communication with them has always been open for a direct approach. We would have followed the official and appropriate channels.”
9 Apr 2012, 22:41 pm
I agree wholeheartedly with them btw.
9 Apr 2012, 22:52 pm
I’m watching highlights of bulls/saders game, do yourself a favor and watch between 35 – 38 minute mark.
Jaque potgieter made a tackle on carter, flynn or saders prop then cleared potgieter then on purpose grabbed/gouged bulls player face and only left it when the ref said “hands off”.
How did the citing commissioner miss this?
Dirty kiwi filthy hobbit-scum.
9 Apr 2012, 22:54 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-602: DITTO! Good post.Sharks support the Bulls (on this one)
9 Apr 2012, 23:13 pm
@ 597 No ways. Boks don’t have a great record nurturing talented youngsters. Think derick hougaard, meyer bosman, ruan pienaar. They were picked very young and weren’t allowed to blossom. Why risk that with a guy who can convert kicks from 60+ metres (when he was 17 or 18).
For every larkham there’s an elton flatley.
For every mccaw thers a xavier rush.
9 Apr 2012, 23:58 pm
Citing commissioner saw nothing in the videos to substantiate the argument and why didn’t the BULLS management follow through with a written complaint in the four hour time frame they too have access to view the same video as the commissioner did they come up with the same conclusion as the commissioner i’m sure the Bulls management will not turn a blind eye if they saw such foul play after all their record is not too clean in mistermeaners the Question should be asked why instead of sitting on the fence and not saying a thing are they responsible for their player welfare and safety on the field don’t think so without a sound.
9 Apr 2012, 23:59 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-601:
Good on the Bulls for their response to what is a very pathetic tactic by Blackadder…….. asking for a faaaking apology, what a doos!!
Butter would not melt…………… yeah right!
10 Apr 2012, 00:01 am
@peachy(peachy)-606:
The written complaint, I believe was not required but they are now saying they want it to happen going forward.
Bulls followed procedure, did Blackadder?
10 Apr 2012, 00:04 am
How absurd can these Kiwis get?
They are “men of integrity”.
Yeah right.
Which is why they use every dirty trick in the book to try and help their team to a win.
Sly obstruction of defenders. Shoulder charges galore (Guildford on Ndungane, clear as day), captain Integrity himself, Keiran Reid, pulling Vermaak back into a ruck when the Bulls were in a prime attacking position.
They are cheats. How they can claim to have this inborn sense of “integrity” boggles the mind.
Demanding an apology when our players raise a legitimate complaint, simply because the dirty deeds were done at the bottom of a ruck where the cameras don’t penatrate?
Laughable.
10 Apr 2012, 00:12 am
Blackadder raised the stakes on this one. He is the one who based his defense on his players’ sense of integrity.
Well, integrity stretches beyond whether you punch a guy or not. In fact, you can punch a guy honestly, and still be a “man of integrity” as Tod describes his men.
But you can’t be a man of integrity and then try and help your wing score a try by deliberately obsrtructing the opposing defender.
You can’t be a man of integrity – a captain of integrity in fact – and still pull the opposing scrumhalf back into the ruck to prevent the other team from getting quick ball 5 yards from your goal line.
You can’t be a man of integrity and play cheating rugby.
By that standard, the Crusaders have pretty much the lowest collective integrity in the entire competition.
10 Apr 2012, 00:22 am
after bees roux killed an innocent copper we really have to take anything that comes out of the bulls camp with a pinch of salt.that vuilgat,dean greyling,probably gouged both players.i mean this is a guy that had that crazy look in his eyes against the stormers when he tried to fight with the whole of the stormers pack.
10 Apr 2012, 00:44 am
@CAPECRUSADER (seven-times champions)(CAPECRUSADER)-611:
hahahah…………….faaak but you are a bitter little ****** arn’t you?
10 Apr 2012, 00:44 am
******** = f u k k e r
10 Apr 2012, 01:00 am
WOW what a bunch of whingers and moaners you Jappies are…isnt it normal practice if you make a ‘charge’ and it is not proven, then is there an apology due…? obviously in Jappie-land where you are all god’s little children and bleaters to boot, it is not a surprise that one is not forthcoming. Oh well, how nice it is to be blameless….what a bunch of LOSERS
10 Apr 2012, 01:41 am
@JohnPaul(JohnPaul)-614:
Oh f u k off dipstick………….it’s blackadder whinging away like a little baby wanting an apology for his hurt feelings. Because there was no underground camera looking up from the grass into the abyss of a ruck does not mean it did not happen.
Go f u k a sheep or something!
10 Apr 2012, 01:51 am
@whatever(whatever)-615:
Hahahaha bietjie grumpy vanoggend ekse!
10 Apr 2012, 01:55 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-616:
10 Apr 2012, 02:07 am
@whatever(whatever)-617:
Tell you what, what goes around comes around and these holier than though beetches better watch out! When it is their turn they should not expect any mercy…
10 Apr 2012, 02:48 am
@CAPECRUSADER (seven-times champions)(CAPECRUSADER)-611: Do you call this being objective???
10 Apr 2012, 02:49 am
@whatever(whatever)-615: couldn’t have said it better.
10 Apr 2012, 03:24 am
@Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-558: Do youy have any idea what really happened?? NO I don’t think so . Going into someones rigious affiliation to make an unproven point tells me something re your objectivity.Chilli knows who did it but he will let it rest .Lets see what happens in the rest of the competition.
Any ideas on the cowardly.cynical and dangerous tackle on Chilli.That is “clean” by men of integrity.
10 Apr 2012, 04:34 am
I think this whole situation is great as the Crusaders have been on this pedestal of pitty and therefore everyone looks past their offenses as they felt sorry for them….that time is past now, you are just another rugby team again!
10 Apr 2012, 04:46 am
As per usual the Bok supporters
comments vary between
way over the top ,too, so far off the subject
thats a result of them being seriously blinded by their
jealousy and hatred for the ongoing lessons dealt out to them by the NZ teams
10 Apr 2012, 05:25 am
Filthy kiwis.
Apologise for what?
As for Capo the CapedPoodlenaaier…
I’m watching you my little holbandiet.
10 Apr 2012, 05:36 am
@spartan(spartan)-623:
Hahaha lessons? Played 11 so far with SA teams leading 6/5 in head to head…keep in mind 3 of the 5 wins for NZ was against the Lions…keep on teaching!
10 Apr 2012, 06:08 am
Im talking about all stats
since you’ve been back on the scene pal
10 Apr 2012, 06:34 am
the whole point of the white card was to streamline the citing process and do away with the teams having to take action as the refs and citing commissioners would deal with it…
now… mid-season… they’re basically going back to how it was before…?
except teams will now only apparently have 4 hours within which to react and submit a full report…
talk about turning 180 degrees…
please keo… or pissant… can you get clarity on this whole business and ask them why they are changing their minds…?
10 Apr 2012, 06:34 am
@spartan(spartan)-626:
whose your pal?
10 Apr 2012, 06:35 am
@ufo(ufo)-627:
They changing their minds because a sheep bleated
10 Apr 2012, 06:41 am
@spartan(spartan)-623: well spoken – most of the filth and emotional commenting on this site does not deserve a response but yours does.
10 Apr 2012, 06:51 am
@spartan(spartan)-623: Ongoing lessons?
Like the Crusaders, or maybe the Highlanders? Those lessons?
Don’t think so.
10 Apr 2012, 06:56 am
As I eluded to a few weeks back – it doesn’t matter what you do on a Rugby field if you are a Kiwi.
Cheating, obstruction, foul play..it’s just par for the course in NZ Rugby under the knowledge that the referees and administrators are under instruction not to intervene. If it had been an Australian or a South African they would have received 10 weeks but seeing it was a kiwi…they demand an apology for daring to question them.
Kiwis – the ugliest, low breeds in the Southern Hemisphere. Every game I watched on the weekend was laced with Kiwi teams cheating, obstructing, lying on the ball, entering from off side, taking out opposition players…and rarely getting penalised. Its a joke
10 Apr 2012, 06:57 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-631: I’m not a Stormers supporter but **** it was good to see them spanking the Highlanders. And indeed it was a spanking.
10 Apr 2012, 07:07 am
@spartan(spartan)-626:
What happened last year has very little impact on this year…but you know that. Feel free to keep on teaching those Lions…pal!
10 Apr 2012, 07:11 am
@ufo(ufo)-627:
Idiots got it wrong again, so the ref rips out a white card and says to the captain he wants the citing commission to have a look at a tackle/klap/stomp/whatever because he is not sure…suddenly the opposing team needs to lodge an official report…on something the ref/touchie picked up…4 hours after the game!
But I refer you to Whatever, a sheep bleated and voila!
10 Apr 2012, 07:15 am
@jeest(jeest)-633: Yip. Good times
10 Apr 2012, 07:29 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-634:
Lets just say
if the crusaders make the finals
you
will be afraid
10 Apr 2012, 07:32 am
@spartan(spartan)-637:
Why? You just making up stuff now.
10 Apr 2012, 08:28 am
Thought it was weird when I read the Crusaders guy wanting an apology if no proof was found of any eye gouging, over the years and many citings there has been no proof of happens and now suddenly an apology is expected, a bit of a poopal and comes across as ”we are the Crusaders how very dare you suggest such a thing” entitlement.
10 Apr 2012, 08:36 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-610: See the righteous are out in force this morning – to state that we are consistent cheats is childish , this is an international rugby comp , if your guys dont know the laws of the game , send them to night classes to get some education
Secondly we always have issues at Loftus – must i mention the blantant forward pass 2 seasons ago that costs us a home semi ? Must i mention the the disallowed try in the 75 min of this game , must i mention K Reid being pinged for counter rucking in the 58 th min ? The list goes on ….. Then to start this eye gouging issue is an insult to any international sportsman and imo should be dealt harshly if it is true or harshly against a player for the accusation if it is false .
10 Apr 2012, 08:38 am
Got to love how the Saders countered the Bulls lineout driving maul – classis execution of the laws
10 Apr 2012, 08:45 am
@stew(stew)-641:
Almost as good as the 25m the Bulls made on another occassion, or the 15m, or…oh hang on, that classic execution of the laws worked once in 80 minutes.
Oh and bringing stuff up from TWO years ago, careful or else me might label you a whinger!
10 Apr 2012, 08:57 am
Poor stewie talking about a forward pass two years ago that came off a crusaders player.
And then moaning that Carter got rightly pinged for a very clumsy attempt at obstruction.
All because he’s had a very big mouth about the Crusaders all season.
Embraboer.
10 Apr 2012, 09:06 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-642: I am not the one whinging like other bloggers – Bulls have the win fact
10 Apr 2012, 09:34 am
@stew(stew)-640:
bullshit.
If a player has been gouged why should he shut up?
your boys are thugs.
and as for this little beaut….
“I am not the one whinging like other bloggers”
Secondly we always have issues at Loftus – must i mention the blantant forward pass 2 seasons ago that costs us a home semi ? Must i mention the the disallowed try in the 75 min of this game , must i mention K Reid being pinged for counter rucking in the 58 th min ? The list goes on ….. Then to start this eye gouging issue is an insult to any international sportsman and imo should be dealt harshly if it is true or harshly against a player for the accusation if it is false .
Dishonest as well a stupid?
That’s a lethal combo.
10 Apr 2012, 10:04 am
@stew(stew)-640:
Whilst many of the Bulls supporters are being over sensitive and self righteous I am afraid ou are now guilty of the same thing.
I am not a bulls supporter but in this instance I see nothing they have done wrong.
The allegations were not found to be false. There was no video evidence.
Flip definitely got a finger near or in the eye. We just don’t know who of if it was intentional.
We don’t even know what allegation the bulls made because based on my limited rugby experience a player often does not know who or how the event happened.
It is of course possible that either a bulls player or a crusaders player accidentally stuck a finger in Flips eyes.
You are absolutely wrong about the protocol. It is simple.
Side 1 brings an event to refs attention
Ref refers it with awhile card
Side 1 can include it in their ref report if they want to.
Citing commissioner reviews and announces finding
Side 1 and 2 accept decision
Because there was no video evidence it does not follow that the bulls players lied.
And lying would be about as bad as deliberately gouging btw.
10 Apr 2012, 10:09 am
@stew(stew)-640:
yes,you are right, the crusaders usually do always have “issues” at loftus.
the “issue” is that the crusaders generally lose.
10 Apr 2012, 10:21 am
Seriously entering dangerous ground when players or coaches expect apologies for being unable to substantiate allegations of foul play with TV evidence. The fact remains that SA teams are the least likely to involve the citing commissioner, in fact we have a history of just sucking it up and moving on sometimes to our own detriment. The Bulls management didnt have to make a formal complaint in this case as the referee had handled the situation very well and there was no need to stoke the fire.
At the end of the day nobody has suffered any harm or do some idiots out there believe that once the accusation was made all the crusaders players intensity dropped because their feelings were hurt?
Todd Blackadder should be charged with misconduct for his disgraceful attempt to sway any pending decision by the citing commissioner. He could have just kept his mouth shut and then taken the high ground once the decision was made.
Perhaps it is time for SA teams to start citing teams whose players never use their arms in tackles. There were a few examples of Maori exocet shoulder charges all unpunished this week.
10 Apr 2012, 10:31 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-647: LOL !
10 Apr 2012, 10:47 am
Something fishy about these accusations of the Bulls. Firstly, Chilli Boy was as calm as a Sunday afternoon stroll when he was allegedly being gouched to death. Same with Flip. No pushing or shoving, or even a fight breaking out. Then afterwards, with two players upset and gouched, the Bulls don’t lay a complaint at all. Nothing? I’m just saying it is clear that this was an upsetting thing for the Bulls. Pierre Spies twice being called by his players about being gouched. Why did the Bulls organization not go to the full extent and give the commissioner full details with a complaint?
Also, you guys are saying things about Todd, but he is standing up for his players. Bulls didn’t push for their players. Bulls made the accusation, then they must prove and push it to the full extent. It’s like a collegue walking into your office and saying you stole from them, then walking out the room and doing and saying nothing further about the accusation. No details, nothing.
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