Former Springboks front-rower Hanyani Shimange has dubbed Luke Morgan’s cheap shot on Ethan Hooker as the ‘worst thing’ he saw on the weekend.
The Sharks and Springboks star will undergo scans this week to determine the extent of the damage caused by Morgan, who dove on the back of Hooker after he scored a try before half-time.
The Welshman’s actions went unpunished, even though it ended the 23-year-old’s game, and it has now been reported that the Sharks have ‘demanded’ that the United Rugby Championship investigate the incident.
Springboks slam the lack of punishment for Luke Morgan
Hosting The Verdict podcast, Shimange reviewed the incident along with fellow former Springboks Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers.
The ex-hooker started the discussion on the incident during the section of the show named after him.
“The Shim bin, the worst thing that you saw this weekend, I know what mine was, the Ethan Hooker’s popped shoulder from the late tackle… That’s a disgrace,” Shimange remarked.
Former centre De Villiers took umbrage over the fact that the match officials did not penalise Ospreys and Morgan over the incident, as play should have resumed with a penalty to the Sharks on the halfway line.
“The injury is the biggest concern, but it was also disappointing that they didn’t restart the game with a penalty because that is the way that the rules are written, and maybe even from that point of view, the game could have changed,” he said.
“But it’s the fact that it’s totally late, and it’s diving down onto the player after the try is scored.
“It’s extremely disappointing for Ethan Hooker and a player that I think can add so much on the international arena.”
The Sharks are done
Hooker’s try meant that the Sharks trailed Ospreys’ 14-12 at half-time, but the Durbanites would go on to suffer a 21-17 defeat, a result that all but ends their chances of making the URC play-offs.
“If we look at it now, the Sharks are done,” Shimange remarked. “I mean, they are 11th on the log. I’m not sure they can make it to the top eight.”
Former flanker Burger agreed, adding: “There is a nice little gap now between ninth place with Connacht on 44, and there is a 10-point buffer on 10th and 11th – that’s too much.
“The Sharks have got an easy run-in, but unfortunately, this weekend’s result is no good.”
Running through the permutations, ex-centre De Villiers said that they would need a few favours from other teams in the league and would require the current top eight clubs to drop points.
“So you need to ask where will they find their points, but first of all, who will drop points,” he said.
“Teams in the top eight need to drop points for the Sharks to be able to obviously make it because they can get a maximum of 15, which takes them to 49. But the Bulls in eighth place just need four more points to get to 49.
“If you look at the Bulls’ fixtures, you would assume that they would get four or more points. Cardiff is in seventh place. They’re playing the Ospreys this weekend, Glasgow away the following weekend, and then the Stormers at home. So there’s a possibility, but I don’t really see that happening. So mathematically, the Sharks can still make it, but I don’t think so.”
Stormers didn’t help the Durbanites’ cause
The Sharks’ defeat was compounded by Connacht beating the Stormers in Cape Town earlier in the day.
“Unfortunately, you have to do your own thing, but then also the fact that the Stormers lost to Connacht,” Burger said.
“If the top of the log runs away with it and you leave seventh, eighth, and ninth to battle amongst yourselves, you can easily overtake them, but I can’t see them getting in the top eight.”
But De Villiers said that the Sharks only have themselves to blame for not reaching the quarter-finals: “A couple of results haven’t gone their way, but it’s also their own fault for not winning that game, which they should have.”