Rebels ask for feedback after record penalty count

Thu, Mar 21, 2019, 7:44 AM
Beth Newman
by Beth Newman
Egon Seconds was the referee in last weekend's Lions-Rebels match. Photo: Getty Images
Egon Seconds was the referee in last weekend's Lions-Rebels match. Photo: Getty Images

Dave Wessels says the Rebels sought feedback from SANZAAR after they found themselves on the wrong end of a record penalty count in Johannesburg.

The Rebels were on the wrong end of a 20-1 penalty tally in their 36-33 loss to the Lions and were slapped with two yellow cards in the match as well.

Wessels said they had spoken to SANZAAR's referees during the week and he was confident that they would not have the same issue against the Sharks.

"I think we wanted to confirm that there weren't any systematic issues in our game with the referees and they've given us some feedback that there aren't," he said.

"That would be the major concern - if it was happening in a certain area of our game where we were doing something systematically wrong then we'd want to address that but fortunately the feedback has been that that's not the case.

"We've got Rasta Rasivhenge who's an experienced referee and I don't think it's going to be an issue."


While Wessels did not point to the penalty count that as a reason their capitulation the final half hour, surrendering a 33-5 lead, he did say they must have been very "unlucky" to be in that situation.

"I don't think in the history of Super Rugby a team's ever got only one penalty against them and I know for a fact that's the worst differential that's been in the last 10 years," he said.

"The reality is the next worst is 15-5.

"So 20-1 penalty count, we would have had to be very unlucky to get something like that and discipline certainly hasn't been an issue for us all season so for it suddenly to come up in that way was disappointing.

"We just need to get on with it and just keep going the way that we have and I think it'll continue to take care of itself."

Last weekend's referee, Egon Seconds will be an assistant referee for two games this weekend.

The Rebels take on the Sharks on Sunday morning in Durban, kicking off on Saturday at 5:15pm local, Sunday 2:15am AEDT, LIVE on FOX SPORTS.

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