BULLS HOLD BREATH
SCHOEMAN: PROP FACING MUSIC FOR BITING CHARGE
Front rower’s Super Rugby season might be over.
Prop Pierre Schoeman’s year could be over in terms of the Bulls as he has been charged with biting during the Super Rugby match against the Rebels at the weekend.
The Edinburgh-bound loosehead was accused by the Rebels of biting flank Richard Hardwick on the stomach in the 58th minute and his case was considered by the Sanzaar Foul Play Review Committee yesterday morning.
Last night the Bulls indicated that Schoeman will deny the charge at a disciplinary hearing set to take place today.
In 2016, Jaguares loose forward Leonardo Senatore was suspended for 10 weeks after being found guilty of biting the arm of a Sharks opponent.
Should Schoeman be found guilty, he could face a similar sanction.
With byes and the June international window taken into account, that would put him out until the play-offs. And, because he is heading overseas thereafter, it would be unlikely for him to fight his way back into the team.
Coach John Mitchell also yesterday confirmed that Schoeman would not be playing on Saturday against the Highlanders, whatever the outcome of his hearing.
“I leave that up to the judicial system although we always look after our player and will back him up. But Pierre certainly won’t be selected this weekend, it’s like an injury, there are unfortunate consequences and it’s the same for foul play. We have to be compliant,” Mitchell said.
Although the coach was pessimistic when he surveyed the damage in the changeroom after their tough encounter with the Rebels, only one other player has been ruled out of action – flank Roelof Smit, who suffered a head injury.
Lizo Gqoboka is the obvious replacement for Schoeman, while Shaun Adendorff will surely step into the starting line-up to replace Smit. With Tim Agaba injuring his bicep playing for the Blue Bulls in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge last weekend, Nic de Jager and Ruan Steenkamp just returning to training and Hanro Liebenberg having just had knee surgery, Mitchell will have to dig into his resources to come up with a reserve loose forward.
“We look forward to the fastpaced game of the Highlanders because we’ve been there, we know what’s coming and we don’t fear it, we embrace it because we like to play in a similar way. We’ve taken our objections over the Rebels’ strategy to Sanzaar – there were 24 stoppages, some of them 87 seconds long, which is not good.
“We hope common sense prevails, we can’t have teams faking injuries and doctors in control of the pace of the game. When players are going down frequently and it seems to be premeditated with a call, then that’s not where the game should be headed,” Mitchell said yesterday.