Springbok lock Lood de Jager is set to face an independent disciplinary hearing following his red card in Saturday’s victory against France.
Springbok lock Lood de Jager is set to face an independent disciplinary hearing following his red card in Saturday’s victory against France.
De Jager was sent off just before half time in Paris after his shoulder made contact with the head of fullback Thomas Ramos.
Referee Angus Gardner deemed the tackle “always illegal” and issued a permanent red card – a decision that sparked debate among fans and pundits alike.
Despite playing the entire second half with 14 men, the Boks powered to a 32-17 win in Siya Kolisi’s 100th Test.
Six Nations Rugby, which oversees the Autumn Nations Series, confirmed that De Jager will on Tuesday afternoon appear via video conference before an independent disciplinary committee chaired by Jennifer Donovan of Ireland, alongside Val Toma (Romania) and Donal Courtney (Ireland).
The hearing will determine whether the 31-year-old will face further punishment or be cleared to continue the Springboks’ end-of-year tour.
De Jager’s case falls under Law 9.16 – charging or knocking down an opponent carrying the ball without attempting to grasp that player.
De Jager was shown a straight red card for an action deemed to be premeditated foul play, through the intervention of the assistants and Television Match Official after referee Angus Gardner initially waved play on for a collision that happened right in front of him in real time.
Gardner was insistent initially that he did not think it warranted a red card, when the TMO intervened and asked him to have a look at the contact. Gardner felt there was mitigation as France’s fullback Thomas Ramos’s knees were on the ground from him taking an earlier tackle. This rendered him half his height if he ordinarily was going into a tackle.
