Cheslin Kolbe

Retired Welsh referee Nigel Owens says Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe was “very, very lucky” not to receive a RED card in Saturday’s second Test against the British & Irish Lions. AFP PHOTO / Marty MELVILLE

Cheslin Kolbe ‘very, very lucky’ not to see RED – top Test referee

Retired Welsh referee Nigel Owens says Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe was “very, very lucky” not to receive a RED card in Saturday’s second Test against the British & Irish Lions.

Cheslin Kolbe

Retired Welsh referee Nigel Owens says Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe was “very, very lucky” not to receive a RED card in Saturday’s second Test against the British & Irish Lions. AFP PHOTO / Marty MELVILLE

Retired Welsh referee Nigel Owens says Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe was “very, very lucky” not to receive a RED card in Saturday’s second Test against the British & Irish Lions at the Cape Town Stadium.

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New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe, after a lengthy consultation with his assistants Nic Berry and Mathieu Raynal as well as TMO Marius Jonker, issued Kolbe with a yellow card in the 25th minute for taking out British & Irish Lions scrumhalf Conor Murray in the air.

Conor Murray of BI Lions upended by Cheslin Kolbe of South Africa during the Second Test of the 2021 British and Irish Lions Rugby Tour between South Africa and BI Lions at Cape Town Stadium on 31 July 2021 ©Gavin Barker/BackpagePix

Replays showed Cheslin Kolbe running straight, with his eyes on the ball, into Murray, who jumped to take the catch and was sent crashing to the ground.

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Players from both sides rushed in resulting in a break in play that went a loooooooong way to a first half lasting a ridiculous 64 official minutes.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Owens said he would have given Cheslin Kolbe a red card.

“The only mitigating circumstances here would have been whether Tom Curry and Dan Biggar shield him, and affect Kolbe’s line which causes him to do an action which he wouldn’t have done if they weren’t blocking him,” Owens said.

“They don’t do this. There’s not mitigation here. Biggar and Curry don’t affect – he has enough time to change what he’s doing. Mitigation is gone.

“Kolbe is very, very lucky. If this had have happened 10, 12, 18 months ago – it would have been a red card. I can understand where the yellow came from, but I could fully understand a red. He’s very lucky Murray has saved him here, and that shouldn’t be part of the equation. 

“You start at red and work down on the landing and if there are any mitigating circumstances. Kolbe has enough time to change what he is doing. When Murray is in the air, you have to be aware of his actions.”

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