South Africa assistant coach Mzwandile Stick claims the Springboks have been treated unfairly following red-card incidents in their wins over France and Italy.
Lood de Jager was handed a four-game suspension after being sent off for a high tackle on France full-back Thomas Ramos in Paris, while Franco Mostert was given a straight red card for a shoulder-to-head challenge on Italy’s Paolo Garbisi in Turin last weekend.
Mostert faces a World Rugby disciplinary hearing this week, with Stick confirming the world champions have appealed against De Jager’s ban.
“Every week we are losing players and it’s sad,” Stick told reporters in Dublin before South Africa’s Test against Ireland on Saturday.
He added: “I don’t want to say things and then end up also being banned like Rassie [Erasmus, head coach] in the past.
“We’ve never talked bad about other teams. We always try and play in a good spirit, and hopefully things can just be between the four lines. Are we treated fairly? I don’t think so.”
Stick also referenced recent bans for South Africa internationals Makazole Mapimpi and Jan-Hendrik Wessels while playing for Sharks and Bulls in the United Rugby Championship.
Winger Mapimpi received a five-week ban for a dangerous tackle on Ulster’s Michael Lowry on 18 October, while front-rower Wessels is serving an eight-game suspension – reduced from nine – for an alleged genital grab on Connacht’s Josh Murphy.
“If you look at the past four red cards with our players – we had Makazole Mapimpi suspended, who is not on tour at the moment,” said Stick.
“The guy is on 47 Test matches, missed out on a tour to make it to the 50th. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, a youngster, also missed out. Suspended.
“Lood de Jager, which I feel after this weekend and everything that I’ve seen, even the Fiji and the France game, the clean-outs that were there, the Ireland game against Australia, situations that were even worse than what those guys have been suspended for.
“Then for them they’re suspended, but other players will come back and play this week. Surely somewhere somehow, this is not fair.
“I don’t think we deserve this as a team. We’re doing everything in our powers to make sure that we send the right message when it comes to how we play the game.”
