Edwill van der Merwe flattened his ears. Photo: GB Jordan.
Despite Emmanuel Tshituka’s red card after about 20 minutes of play, the Lions still had hopelessly too much ammunition for Racing 92 at Ellis Park.
The home team scored seven tries to win the European Challenge Cup clash 51 – 28. In this way, they will soon play in the quarter-finals of the tournament against the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland.
Marius Louw scored two tries. Photo: GB Jordan.
Ruan Venter played a cracking shot, while Marius Louw burst through the French defense twice.
Then Sanele Nohamba was in the spotlight with six set-piece attempts while he also scored a try.
But back to that Tshituka red card drama: Schalk Burger did not agree with referee Karl Dickson’s decision at all.
The strong Lions loose forward flattened his ears and only Louis Dupichot stood between him and Racing’s goal line.
Photo: GB Jordaan.
Needless to say, Tshituka steamrolled the visiting full-back, but Dickson ruled that his tackle was too heavy-handed.
“In my eyes it did not justify a red card,” said Burger in the SuperSport studio.
“A player carried the ball here against someone whose technique is not very good; you will naturally want to push him away. The fact that the defending player is then knocked out – that’s how it sometimes goes in a rugby match. After all, we play a contact sport and we have to be careful where we are going with the game,” said Burger.
Lions: Tries: Marius Louw (2), Edwill van der Merwe, Rabz Maxwane, Ruan Venter, Gianni Lombard and Sanele Nohamba. Goals: Nohamba (5). Penalty kicks: Nohamba and Andries Coetzee.
Racing 92: Tries: Thomas Mokuoro (2), Ben Volavola and Donovan Taofifenua. Goals: Nolann le Garrec (4).
