The key 'player' in the Soweto showdown
Trailblazing Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli is under considerable scrutiny this week, much like Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and New Zealand’s Dave Rennie.
Following the performances of Matthew Carley at Ellis Park and Angus Gardner in Cape Town, the 31-year-old Amashukeli is set to officiate the pivotal third Test in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in Soweto.
Carley received accolades for his firm, authoritative game at Ellis Park.
He took charge immediately with strong communication and a firm hand. He even overruled the TMO, dismissing television match official advice twice in the final quarter. Most notably, he stood his ground and overruled the TMO regarding a high challenge by Ardie Savea on Jasper Wiese, ruling it legal contact caused by whiplash rather than foul play.
Gardner found himself stepping into the second Test on short notice due to Amashukeli’s unexpected illness.
His “coaching” style regarding the scrums – particularly in light of Rennie’s pre-match criticisms of the Bok scrum tactics – led to heightened scrutiny and ignited a substantial exchange of words between the two teams.
(Continue below ….)
He dedicated a significant portion of the match to addressing props both before and during engagements, aiming for stability in the proceedings.
While New Zealanders commended Gardner for stabilising the set-piece and preventing a recurrence of the scrum issues seen in the first Test, South African players and fans felt his overly detailed focus neutralised what should have been a dominant advantage for the Boks.
Amashukeli, the first-ever Tier Two official to referee a Six Nations match, brings a unique perspective, having played some rugby as a flank, which enhances his understanding of the intricacies of set-pieces.
His officiating approach to scrums emphasises fairness, overall materiality, and a low tolerance for unnecessary resets. As a referee from Georgia – a nation renowned for its pride in robust and direct forward play – Amashukeli respects the importance of the set-piece but strives for management that avoids excessive micromanagement.
His philosophy on officiating scrums is rooted in the belief that he does not want to be overly strict or punitive at the set-piece. He refrains from penalising minor technical infractions unless they are clear, direct, and relevant to the contest’s outcome.
With his low tolerance for resets, fans can expect a marked difference from the numerous collapsed scrums witnessed in Gardner’s handling of the match.
Amashukeli also places great importance on pre-match technical consultations with World Rugby scrum advisors, focusing on body angles to ensure that props maintain a straight and square scrummaging position.
Amashukeli’s refereeing approach marks a significant departure from Angus Gardner’s style observed last weekend.
While Gardner strictly monitored the engagement and consistently intervened to adjust the front rows’ positions, South African analysts anticipate that Amashukeli will adopt a more definitive stance in favour of a robust, straight shove from the scrums.
Notably, Amashukeli has a tendency to issue a lower number of scrum penalties, having averaged merely two in past encounters between the Springboks and All Blacks. Consequently, both teams will need to adapt to his more laissez-faire philosophy.
In the initial two Tests, the penalty count has been 22 against the All Blacks and 14 against the Springboks.
At Ellis Park, the All Blacks’ 14 penalties were primarily a consequence of their struggling set piece. They were penalised six times at scrum time under the considerable pressure exerted by the Springboks.
The remainder of their penalties stemmed from inaccuracies at the breakdown and offside infractions as they furiously attempted to manage South Africa’s territorial supremacy.
For the Springboks, the majority of their 10 penalties resulted from aerial errors and general infringements during open play.
Notably, they incurred a crucial scrum penalty towards the end of the match for wheeling the scrum while attempting a decisive push from just five metres out, which ultimately shifted the momentum back in favour of New Zealand.
In Cape Town, the All Blacks conceded eight penalties compared to just four for the Springboks.
Following Dave Rennie’s feedback, their scrum showed significant improvement, managing to avoid any penalties on their own feed and conceding only one on the Boks’ feed. However, their penalties primarily resulted from indiscipline in open play.
Notable infractions included Luke Jacobson’s illegal charge into a ruck and lock Tupou Vaa’i being penalised for obstructing Cheslin Kolbe with an illegal escort block while he pursued a high kick.
In contrast, the Springboks executed a tactically disciplined match under referee Gardner, facing penalties only for a minor breakdown infringement and a line-out error.
They kept their error count sufficiently low, enabling Cheslin Kolbe to capitalise on the All Blacks’ mistakes by successfully kicking four vital penalty goals.
A key disciplinary difference observed in the series is that the Springboks have received three yellow cards, primarily due to defensive pressure late in the first match, whereas the All Blacks have maintained a clean slate without any cards thus far.
@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com
