Pierre must prove he didn’t bite a Rebel
PRETORIA: The Bulls will be fighting a number of battles this week before getting themselves into the actual war against the Highlanders at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
With the fight against the Highlanders being the most important for the team to win and keep their hopes for a playoff berth alive, prop Pierre Schoeman will be embroiled in an individual battle to save his reputation and place in the team as he faces a hearing for allegedly biting a Melbourne Rebels player in the Bulls 28-10 win over the weekend.
Schoeman pleaded not guilty to the allegations but after being cited, the in-form blonde loosehead will have to prove his innocence in front of Super Rugby’s mother body Sanzaar’s disciplinary hearing today and has already been ruled out of Saturday’s clash against the Highlanders by Bulls boss John Mitchell.
Mitchell confirmed that Schoeman will not be eligible for selection and his place in the starting team will be taken by Lizo Gqoboka, who will be making his first start of the season.
“I don’t know (if he has admitted or denied allegations). At the end of the day you will have to go through the judge’s report. He won’t be selected on the weekend,” Mitchell said.
“At the end of the day you leave those things to the judicial system. We will always look after our player welfare and back them up with the necessary support but it is the judge, athlete and lawyers so I will stay out of it. Lizo is quite fresh as well and now he’s obviously has to take his opportunity and he will be well excited.”
At the same time Mitchell confirmed that he had laid a complaint against the Melbourne Rebels with Sanzaar for the Australians’ deliberate slowing down of the game on Saturday.
Rebels coach Dave Wessels had admitted his team “purposely” slowed down the game to prevent his team from tiring in the unfamiliar afternoon kick-off time.
Mitchell has accused the Rebels of unbecoming tactics of faking injuries and their medical staff taking longer than normal in “treating” the “injured” players on the field.
The Rebels proved to be negative in the manner in which they played the game and beyond the allegations of the fake injuries, the Australians were guilty of a lot of offthe-ball incidents and constant infringements and disruption in the lineouts, scrums and rucks.
“Hopefully common sense prevails and we don’t get players faking injuries and doctors controlling the speed of the game. Clearly the law does state that the player’s safety is first and foremost but when it is faked on a frequent basis, which is kind of premeditated with a call, then to me that is not where the game should be heading,” added Mitchell.
The Bulls, though, will place their focus on what they can control in the Highlanders with the decision on Schoeman and Sanzaar’s response to the Rebels complaint both out of their hands.