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All Blacks v Springboks: South African writer slams ‘whinging’ Ian Foster and All Blacks over Kurt-Lee Arendse red card

Beaudy talks about Sunday’s scary collision and looks ahead to this week’s game at Ellis Park. Video / All Blacks

A South African rugby writer has called out the All Blacks’ “whinging” over Springboks winger Kurt-Lee Arendse’s poor tackle on Beauden Barrett during last weekend’s test in Mbombela.

Arendse was red carded – and subsequently banned for four weeks – after he collided with Barrett mid-air during an aerial contest, causing the All Blacks first-five to fall dangerously on his head.

In an article on South African website Super Sport, rugby writer Brenden Nel admitted it was a “clumsy” challenge but said Ian Foster and the All Blacks were “trying to claim victimhood” and detract from their poor performances in their post-match reactions.

“They have tried to turn the attention to Kurt-Lee Arendse’s poor aerial attempt that left both him and Beauden Barrett leave [sic] the field after the horror clash,” Nel wrote in a piece titled ‘All Black whinging unbecoming of a great side’.

“No South African fan, pundit or anyone watching the game from these parts has defended Arendse. The team even said – politely – he got his timing wrong.

“The referee saw red – rightly so – and the judicial committee gave Arendse four weeks. It was deserved and he was a bit lucky not to get more.

“It was at best clumsy, at worse negligent and it was dealt with. End of story.

“On Sunday though, Foster came out firing, trying to claim victimhood in an arena where he needed something to cling to. So he took aim at Arendse.”

After the match, Foster said the tackle was “one of the worst I’ve ever seen” and claimed the All Blacks needed “more protection” in the air.

Beauden Barrett is tackled by Kurt Lee Arendse.  Photo / Photosport
Beauden Barrett is tackled by Kurt Lee Arendse. Photo / Photosport

But Nel claims Foster’s reaction was “cynical” and “desperate”, after what was a disappointing performance leading to the All Blacks’ fifth loss in six tests.

“This after they won just six of the 16 aerial battles during the game. There were no other incidents even close to what happened in the 77th minute, and none warranting such an outcry. Yet here we are,” Nel wrote.

“Foster vowed to take the matter up with World Rugby and even sent Beauden Barrett out on Wednesday to front up in an interview and talk about how scared he was. Fair enough, it was a bad incident, and player welfare is always important.

“But the timing, along with the way the All Blacks have played it, has come across cynical, as if they want to influence referee Luke Pearce with their whinge. As if they want to deflect from their own failings by placing the spotlight on the Boxes.

“The aerial challenge is a part of modern rugby and most teams know it is coming when playing the Boks. In fact, normally the All Blacks use the tactic more than the Boks in these clashes, but they were outgunned in Mbombela.

“Still, when you think back to some of the All Black sides who have had controversy, who have shrugged and told their players to get on with it, the noise being made by Foster smacks of a desperate side looking for desperate measures to deflect from their own shortcomings.”

Ian Foster during an All Blacks press conference.  Photo / Photosport
Ian Foster during an All Blacks press conference. Photo / Photosport

Nel also pointed to another aerial incident last year, when Jordie Barrett was red carded after his boot collided with Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete’s face during the All Blacks’ 38-21 win in Perth, suggesting Foster was hypocritical in his reaction to Arendse.

Barrett later had his red card expunged from his record and was cleared of a ban after the Sanzaar judicial committee found that the challenge was accidental.

“After all, it was the same Foster who denied the All Blacks had a problem when Jordie Barrett was rightfully red carded for a ‘kung-fu kick’ in the Bledisloe Cup test in Perth last year,” Nel wrote.

“At the time, this was Foster’s reaction to the red card – surprise.

“Fast forward to this week and you’d be right for seeing the irony in the whinging.”

Nel said SA director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, who tweeted a sarcastic response to a Beauden Barrett interview recounting the incident, was “perhaps a bit miffed” at the irony.

Nel also suggested Arendse and other Springboks chasers were consistently blocked by All Blacks players during aerial challenges.

“What Foster didn’t mention, and what the Boks could easily have complained about, are the blocking lines run by multiple players in their teams to try and put off chasers. An argument can be made that this – in all games – leads to the aerial contest being more dangerous, as players have to evade obstacles in their path while keeping their eyes on the ball.

“It’s something that is a blight on the game and all teams do it, but the All Blacks on Saturday did this multiple times which wasn’t picked up by the ref.”

Ultimately, Nel concluded that the All Blacks’ “victimhood mentality” was unbecoming and “desperate.”

“The bottom line though is, the All Black brand deserves better. They have been admired across the world for their style of play and success. The victimhood mentality doesn’t suit them and doesn’t suit the brand.

“We, as South Africans, are often faulted for complaining and are accused of playing victims. We have to get better as a rugby nation when things don’t go our way.

“But it was surprising to see the All Blacks so desperate to play this card this week. They should follow their own mantra and ‘just get on with it’.”

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Rugby: Springboks winger Kurt-Lee Arendse gets four week ban for red card tackle

The gold rush continues at the Commonwealth Games, All Blacks defeated and Ian Foster’s job hands in the balance and a New Zealand one-two finish at the latest Indycar race in Nashville – Cheree Kinnear gives the highs and lows of the weekend’s sport all in 90 seconds. Video/Photosport/Sky Sport

Springboks wing Kurt-Lee Arendse has been suspended for four weeks after his red card tackle on All Black Beauden Barrett in the first test on Sunday.

Arendse received the red card late in the All Blacks’ 26-10 defeat after wiping Barrett out in the air while he was attempting to field a high ball.

The ugly incident at Mbombela Stadium finished with Barrett landing heavily on his neck.

In a statement, the Sanzaar Foul Play Review Committee said they have agreed to a guilty plea from Arendse.

Beauden Barrett was taken out in mid-air by Kurt-Lee Arendse.  Photo / Photosport
Beauden Barrett was taken out in mid-air by Kurt-Lee Arendse. Photo / Photosport

He has been suspended from all forms of the game up to and including September 17.

That means he will be available for South Africa’s final Rugby Championship game against Argentina.

Arendse’s red card is one of two dangerous high ball challenges the All Blacks are seeking clarification on before attempting to arrest their sustained form slump in South Africa.

Scans after the match cleared Barrett of serious neck damage and he did not undergo an HIA assessment. Despite the initial alarm, All Blacks coach Ian Foster is yet to rule Barrett out of the second test at Ellis Park.

“We’ll make a decision on that later in the week but he’s still a bit sore,” Foster said.

As the All Blacks departed the secluded Ingwenyama Conference and Sport Resort for Johannesburg’s business district, Foster made his feelings on the incident clear when asked if he had concerns about the nature of the challenge.

“Massive concerns,” Foster said. It’s probably worst I’ve seen.”

Foster also expressed frustrations with a similar incident involving Arendse, who faces a lengthy suspension for his red card, earlier in the match on Jordie Barrett.

“It’s pretty disappointing because it happened in the 10th minute as well and they deemed that it was fair,” Foster said. “That’s part of the problem in the game. In the lineout if you throw a jumper over to their side with an arm up it’s considered obstruction whereas it’s becoming a bit of a free for all for jumpers to jump and stick a hand out and say they’re competing, so it needs to be addressed.”

The challenge on Jordie Barrett was reviewed at the time by the TMO but Foster now plans to take his concerns to World Rugby officials.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re protecting guys in the air. To be fair if you’re going to compete you should at least show a couple of hands up.

“We need to make sure we seek clarification about what we can and can’t do particularly with high balls and also with the breakdown, how to move people.”

Jordie Barrett left the field in the second half with an ankle injury that Foster confirmed was “bad” and is therefore likely to rule him out of the second test.

Whether Will Jordan – who was dominated from the right wing in the air by Springboks opposite Makazole Mapimpi – Beauden Barrett or Stephen Perofeta starts at fullback they can expect another aerial assault from the Boks.

With that in mind, Foster is intent on cleaning up challenges in the air to ensure a fair and safe contest for the ball.

The only certainty is the Boks will stick with their kick-heavy tactics that brought success in the form of their opening try to Arendse and several other gains.

“It becomes a lot easier if there’s a wide interpretation of what you can do underneath it. We’ve got to look at our responsibilities in the air and how we catch it because it’s coming but, by the same token, we do expect more protection than we got.”

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