Springboks’ 'hilarious' red card saga: Mock team sheets and Wikipedia pranks ahead of Ireland clash
The Springboks’ red card saga ahead of their clash with Ireland has sparked humour and controversy, with mock team sheets and Wikipedia pranks highlighting their resilience despite playing with 14 men in their last two Tests. Seen here: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Image: Michael Sherman/IOL Sport
South Africans are known for triumphing over adversity, often with the use of humour, and that’s exactly what they’ve done ahead of the Springboks-Ireland Test match in Dublin on Saturday.
For the last two weeks in a row, the Springboks have had their number five lock sent off. First, it was Lood de Jager against France, and then Franco Mostert against Italy.
Despite playing just over 40 minutes against France with a man down, the Springboks still emerged victorious. Against Italy, it was over 65 minutes that South Africa had to play with 14 men, and even with more fringe players selected against the minnows, the Boks still managed a convincing victory.
On both occasions, the decision to send the player off was highly controversial, and much debate on the merit of the cards has followed.
Mock Team Sheets and Rugby Union Updates: Springboks vs. Ireland Clash
Now, mock team sheets have been doing the rounds on social media with the number five not showing a name, but just a red block— symbolising a red card.
Even on Wikipedia, the definition of Rugby Union Football was edited to say: “Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, although South Africa sometimes plays with 14 players to create a more balanced contest when facing northern hemisphere teams, where style and pace differences can otherwise lead to an uneven matchup.”
The Springboks will announce their team to face Ireland on Thursday.
Ireland have beaten South Africa four times in their last five clashes, including a group game in the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The last time the Springboks actually beat Ireland outside South Africa was 13 years ago in Dublin.