Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White has copped stick on social media after milking a yellow card in Saturday’s Test against the Springboks. Photo: Getty Images
Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White labeled ‘absolutely pathetic’ after milking yellow card
Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White has copped stick on social media after milking a yellow card in Saturday’s Test against the Springboks.
Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White has copped stick on social media after milking a yellow card in Saturday’s Test against the Springboks. Photo: Getty Images
Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White has copped plenty of stick on social media after milking a yellow card in Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against the Springboks in Adelaide.
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While the Springboks had a woeful day at the office, their efforts were not helped by a series of questionable calls from New Zealand referee Paul Williams.
One of those came after White’s theatrics late in the first half while Australia were camped on their own tryline.
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With time running out in the half, Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk tried to knock the ball (we think) out of White’s hands at a scrum, but instead made contact with his face instead.
Wallabies won the match 25-17
De Klerk’s hand barely connected with White’s face, but Williams saw enough to send the blonde No 9 to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.
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“I know what you were trying to do. You are trying to go for the ball, but you’ve clearly got it wrong and struck someone directly in the face. So we can’t have that. I know you have got it wrong, but it is a yellow card,” Williams said as he dished out card.
Condemnation for White’s play-acting was swift.
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Stan Sport commentator Sean Maloney called it ‘one of the softest yellow cards of the year’.
“Yellow 9 just killed a little piece of rugby’s soul, there,” said former Springbok captain John Smit on Twitter.
Former Ulster and Ireland scrumhalf Paul Marshall, meanwhile, called the incident “absolutely pathetic”.
However, the only person’s opinion that mattered at the end of the day was Williams’ – and he fell for Nic White’s tactics hook, line and sinker.
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The Wallabies went on to win the match 25-17.
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