Schalk Burger has weighed in on James Ryan\u2019s red card during the clash between Ireland and the Springboks on Saturday.<\/p>\n
After Damian Willemse\u2019s early try, Ireland looked to have scored the try that would level the scores as Tadhg Beirne thundered over the line.<\/p>\n
However, the try was scrubbed off after TMO Andrew Jackson notified referee Matthew Carley that an act of potential foul play may have occurred.<\/p>\n
Carley and his assistants reviewed the incident and eventually ruled out the try and issued a yellow card to Ryan for his dangerous ruck entry, as he flew into the breakdown with a tucked shoulder and made contact with Malcolm Marx\u2019s head.<\/p>\n
Unlike the previous incidents involving Springboks<\/a> locks Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert, Ryan\u2019s<\/a> actions weren\u2019t deemed to be always illegal, with Carley adding that the contact was \u2018glancing\u2019.<\/p>\n The referee ruled out the try and issued a yellow card to Ryan, with his actions sent to be reviewed by the foul play review officer, Dan Jones, who upgraded the sanction from a yellow card to a 20-minute red.<\/p>\n Schalk Burger\u2019s verdict<\/p>\n This meant that Ireland<\/a> were able to bring on a replacement for the second rower after a 20-minute sin-binning period instead of being down a player for the entirety of the match.<\/p>\n Speaking on The Verdict show, Springboks legend Burger<\/a> reviewed the incident and was pleased that it was a 20-minute red card instead of a permanent one.<\/p>\n He believes that Ireland were targeting Marx at the breakdown, because of the threat he poses in that area of the game and added that Ryan was eager to land a shot on the Bok front rower.<\/p>\n \u201cOften, you can feel this when you are chasing rucks. So Malcolm chased the ruck prior to this; you could see there was obviously a target on his back. Ryan wanted to make contact, but didn\u2019t,\u201d Burger said, reviewing the previous rucks before the incident.<\/p>\n \u201cSecond ruck after that, he sees Malcolm and that ruck is already won. So all you can do is really just go sit on top of it, it\u2019s done. Malcolm will probably have a nibble or slow try and slow it down. But I don\u2019t think we can really complain about that [being a red card], back in our days, fine but in 2025, there\u2019s no real mitigation there.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the fact that it went to the bunker and not just a straight red, but yeah, the point of contact, the tucked shoulder or a little chicken wing \u2013 unfortunately, we can\u2019t say anything, other than a 20-minute red was deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n Ex-Irish ref boss: Springboks \u2018bloody hard to like\u2019 and their \u2018pummelling\u2019 of Ireland proves World Rugby needs to \u2018urgently\u2019 fix the game<\/a><\/p>\n Schalk Burger\u2019s \u2018biggest issue\u2019 with red and yellow cards\u2026 \u2018Springboks-Ireland game should have had 10\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n