In one of the most unexpected controversies to recently hit the game, there has been a widespread backlash to a piece of so-called gamesmanship from Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse this past weekend.
During a goal-kicking shootout to decide the quarter-final winner between the Sharks and Munster, Hendrikse went down with what seemed to be cramp, but as he lay on the floor receiving treatment, the camera showed him giving a wink to opposing kicker Jack Crowley.
It led to a furious response from Crowley amid some allegations online that Hendrikse had ‘faked’ the cramps and attempted to put off his opponent with gamesmanship.
Hendrikse incident laughed off by former Springbok boss
Jacques Nienaber, who is now coaching in Ireland, was recently asked about the incident and quite aptly highlighted how there was clear hypocrisy at play.
“If you listen to the referee’s mic in a game without the commentary, you can just listen to what happens on the field, I mean there’s a lot of that happening in the game,” he told RTÉ Sport.
“It’s probably because it’s silent and quiet and very individualised [during the shootout], it’s more static and it’s probably elevated. The banter, or whatever you want to call it, trying to get into opposition heads is something that happens throughout the game.
“You try to do it physically, you try to do it with your mouth, you try to do it at set piece, a lot of things, rubbing guys’ hair, faces in the ground, it happens throughout the 80 minutes.”
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