Wiese to pay the price of ill discipline
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South Africa 40 Wales 11
The first international played in the new professional era became more memorable for its off-the-ball activities than its on-the-ball action.
The Springboks were expected to run riot in celebration of their World Cup triumph over the All Blacks here at Ellis Park in June, but the 50,000 crowd who came to witness a try feast saw only five scored by the home heroes.
What they did see, however, was an inexcusable third-minute punch from behind by the Transvaal lock Kobus Wiese which laid out the Welsh lock Derwyn Jones, and another knock-down punch from the Welsh replacement Garin Jenkins on Joost van der Westhuizen in injury time.
Jenkins became the sixth Welsh player to be sent off as a result, while Wiese failed to escape punishment when the Welsh team manager invoked the citing procedures to bring him to task. Both players were given 30 -day suspensions. In the case of Jenkins it will mean just that, four weekends away from Swansea's Heineken League campaign, but for Wiese the implications could be harsher.
Currently under a contract with the South African RFU which is worth in the region of pounds 140,000 a year over the next three years, Wiese could find himself the first player to be fined for ill discipline.
"There is obviously a code of conduct in the players' contracts and it is within the ability of Sarfu to impose further action if it sees fit," Edward Griffiths, the chief executive of Sarfu, said.
"We are moving into a new era of professionalism in the game and professionalism doesn't only imply being paid. It also demands high standards of conduct and discipline."
The Sarfu management committee will meet in Cape Town on Thursday to discuss Wiese's position.
On the same day the Welsh Rugby Union general committee will have their monthly gathering and the question of putting their players under contract will be raised by the team manager, Geoff Evans.
He wants the international squad to be paid for their next test assignment, against Fiji in November, and would also like to see some retrospective payment for their match against the world champions.
They certainly deserve something for the way they battled. It might have ended up a record defeat against South Africa, but there were a number of plus points for the caretaker coach Alex Evans.
The third-minute try by the Cardiff flanker Mark Bennett established the game as a real contest in the wake of local bookmakers' expectations of a home win in excess of 70 points. The only problem with the try was that it brought with it the Wiese punch that floored Jones. The 6ft 10in Cardiff lock won two of the opening four line-outs in superb fashion and Wiese obviously thought it was time to do something about it.
Although claiming he was punched first, the video shows nothing other than a cheap shot from behind coming from the Springbok. Down went Jones and Welsh line-out hopes were reduced dramatically as a result.
The Swansea lock Andrew Moore came on to play the remaining 77 minutes to boost to five the number of last season's Under-21 caps in the fray. They all acquitted themselves superbly to offer considerable hope for the future.
South Africa: Tries: Wiese, Pienaar, Small, Teichmann, Mulder. Cons: Stransky 3. Pens: Stransky 3. Wales: Try: Bennett. Pens: N Jenkins 2.
South Africa: A Joubert (Natal); J Small (Natal), H Le Roux (Transvaal), J Mulder (Transvaal), J Olivier (Northern Transvaal ); J Stransky (Western Province), J van der Westhuizen (Northern Transvaal); B Swart (Transvaal), J Dalton (Transvaal), M Hurter ( Northern Tansvaal), M Andrews (Natal), K Wiese (Transvaal), F Pienaar (Transvaal, capt), G Teichmann (Natal), R Kruger (Northern Transvaal).
Wales: J Thomas (Llanelli); I Evans (Llanelli), G Jones (Bridgend), G Thomas (Bridgend), S Hill (Cardiff); N Jenkins (Pontypridd), A Moore (Cardiff); C Loader (Swansea), J Humphreys (Cardiff, capt), J Davies (Neath), P Arnold (Swansea), D Jones (Cardiff), A Gibbs (Newbridge), H Taylor (Cardiff), M Bennett (Cardiff). Replacements: A Moore (Swansea) for D Jones 4 min; G Jenkins (Swansea) for A Gibbs 41 min; M Taylor (Swansea) for G Thomas 69 min.
Referee: J Dume (France).
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