Referee Mike Fraser during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Chiefs at DHL Newlands Stadium on May 12, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images)
One of the biggest debates currently raging in Super Rugby is increasing complaints of refereeing bias in favour of the New Zealand sides.
Controversial but well-known Kiwi columnist Mark Reason had already put the issue squarely in the spotlight last week by emphatically stating his countrymen are “cheaters”.
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Former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles then poured fuel onto the fire by suggesting on television that the Aussies would need to start playing illegally to keep themselves in contention in matches against New Zealand sides.
“The reality is, we’ve got to start cheating better,” he said.
“That’s what we as Aussies need to do. We need to start running players off the ball.”
His comments came in response to the Waratahs’ narrow 29-32 loss to the Crusaders, where referee Ben O’Keeffe missed two big incidents.
First was Joe Moody’s high tackle on Kurltey Beale without the ball and then an obvious spear tackle.
The evidence does seem rather damning.
To rub more salt into the wounds, the Stormers have laid an official complaint with Sanzaar following Kiwi ref Mike Fraser’s inconsistent performance at Newlands.
Influential pundit and former Bok coach Nick Mallett said afterwards that he believed Fraser favoured his countrymen, the Chiefs.
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