Here are the latest rugby headlines on Saturday, August 27.
South African call for referee to be banned
A South African news publication has launched a remarkable attack on referee Paul Williams after his officiating of the Australia v Springboks match.
The South African is demanding New Zealander Williams be banned from refereeing elite international matches going forward, accusing him of bringing shame on the sport.
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It cites a series of grievances from the game, including the decision to yellow card Faf de Klerk for "striking" opposite number Nic White and the failure to penalise Marika Koroibete for a perceived shoulder charge when making a try-saving tackle. White has come under fire for his theatrical reaction in the de Klerk incident, dropping to his knees and grasping at his face after what looked only the slightest of contact.
The article also accuses Williams of continually allowing the Wallabies to use "spoiling tactics" and claims the 'Boks could twice have been awarded a penalty try.
It adds: "Paul Williams bought into play-acting from Australia scrum-half Nic White, whose actions have no place in the sport at all. Williams and White bring the game into disrepute.
"Williams has brought shame onto the game of rugby with one of the worst officiating displays in modern rugby. Williams’ diabolical decision-making robbed the Springboks of momentum and points and changed the nature of the game. This referee has no place taking charge of big games and should be banished to the bush leagues for the rest of his days."
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Springboks refuse to fuel anger at play-acting Wallaby
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber has refused to be drawn on the behaviour of Australia scrum-half Nic White.
White has faced strong criticism in the aftermath of the Wallabies' victory in Adelaide after dropping to his knees and holding his face after Faf de Klerk appeared to lightly brush his face with an arm. De Klerk was subsequently sin-binned, with former 'Boks players lining up to slam White.
"I am going to try and stay clear of that,” Nienaber said on the incident. “It is what it is. The referee has made the decision and we have to live with it. The yellow came at a bad time, they capitalised nicely on it. It’s not nice to lose a nine, especially on defence.
“Looking back on it, we could have controlled that period defensively a bit better. If it’s a yellow card, then it’s a yellow card. We could have handled it better, both the team and the coaches. We can only look at ourselves. We can’t control anything other than what we can control. We will only look at ourselves.”
All Blacks inquest launched
The brutal inquest has begun into New Zealand's latest rugby defeat amid calls for more changes.
The All Blacks were stunned 25-18 by Argentina in their own back yard barely a week after coach Ian Foster just clung onto his job, with Joe Schmidt brought in alongside him to help steer the ship. It was the first time the Pumas had beaten them in New Zealand.
The New Zealand Herald has now called for more change at the top, insisting the axing of a couple of assistant coaches and a prominent role for Schmidt does not go far enough.
Rugby correspondent Gregor Paul wrote in an opinion article: "Surely everyone can agree there is something seriously wrong with the All Blacks: that the cosmetic surgery applied to the coaching team in recent weeks has not cured all the ills that beset the All Blacks.
"The malaise runs much deeper. The rot has set in and while everyone wanted to believe that the win in Johannesburg and the decision to back Ian Foster as head coach with Jason Ryan and Schmidt as his assistants would herald a new beginning, the performance in Christchurch said not.
"They once again looked like a team plagued with self-doubt. They once again looked like a team who were uncertain about how to break free from a resilient defence or how to find ways to force the tempo up and to stop Argentina from being able to keep the contest a chug from one stoppage to the next: a glacial encounter that trudged from set-piece to set-piece. They were once again beaten – the story of 2022."
Foster's hurt
As for Foster, it appears his job will be safe for now, and he admits he is hurting.
Asked if he was losing patience with his team, he said: "Not losing patience, but certainly hurting.
"It's hard work when the team is not, sort of, at 100 percent every week. But I have been there when it is, and I know how much experience you need to get to that point and how much hard work and how settled the team needs to be.
"For us, as you can imagine, there is a shed full of people that are hurting right now. We are working hard and making some moves in our game."
Pumas coach Michael Cheika was delighted, saying: "For those Argentina boys, that's historic for them and I want them to enjoy it. It's a first for me too, I've never won a Test match in New Zealand.
"I'm looking to grow the team, particularly towards the World Cup, and what's important for us now is getting ready for next week, because they're going to come back with every piece of artillery they've got, and we've got to find a way to handle that and give something back."
Read more:
Astonishing try-saving tackle leaves commentators in disbelief but sparks debate
New Zealand beaten by Argentina at home as historic defeat rocks All Blacks
Australia v South Africa incident sparks outrage as Nic White accused of 'killing rugby's soul'
What's become of the players you'd forgotten played rugby for Wales
