MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Wallabies players refused to weigh into controversy swirling around team mate Nic White on Monday after furious South African media accused the scrumhalf of milking a yellow card in the Rugby Championship test over the weekend.
With South Africa on the offensive late in the first half at Adelaide Oval, White was slapped in the face by Faf de Klerk at the back of a five-metre scrum and slumped to his knees.
After consulting with the television match official, New Zealand referee Paul Williams gave De Klerk a yellow card, triggering outrage in South Africa.
With an incredulous De Klerk off the field, Australia fended off South Africa to halftime and ended up winning the test 25-17.
World Cup-winning former South Africa captain John Smit said on Twitter that White had “killed a little piece of rugby’s soul” while former Springboks flyhalf Butch James said it was an “absolute disgrace to the game … that a player can behave like that”.
Asked on Monday about the incident, Wallabies fullback Reece Hodge was reluctant to discuss it.
“I think you’ll have to ask Whitey about that one. I didn’t see it too well, to be honest,” he told reporters.
Pressed on whether referees needed to stamp out “diving” or “play-acting” in matches, or whether it was now part of the game, Hodge said it was up to match officials to decide.
“I think the referees have got a job to do. We’ve got a job to do as players,” he told reporters.
“We just play the game and leave it up to the officials and the refs (referees) to deal with anything that they see in terms of the game.”
Wallabies centre Len Ikitau also steered clear when asked whether he was concerned White might not be protected by officials in future if infringed upon due to the fierce South African backlash.
Springboks fans heckled White at the airport as the Wallabies team left Adelaide.
“I thought you were in the ICU (intensive care unit), my bro!” one yelled, drawing a smile from White in a video shared widely on social media on Monday.
The teams face each other again at the refurbished Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Robert Birsel)
