New Zealand v South Africa: Heavy blow for Springboks as they lose Mbonambi

This was everything Jacques Nienaber and all of South Africa feared. Bongi Mbonambi, the only professional hooker on the Springboks team sheet, had to last 80 minutes, or at least the majority of the match, to help her side in the 2023 XXL World Cup final against New Zealand. This bold bet by the South African coach failed in the 2nd minute of the game.

A dangerous clearance from Shannon Frizell left the Springboks number 2 on the ground holding his knee before the referee stopped the match. After reviewing the images, Wayne Barnes has finally decided to sanction the All Blacks number six. In this fight, the Otago Highlanders third row lifts Mbonambi too high before crushing the hooker with his body, causing the South African’s right knee to dislocate.

The match referee immediately received a yellow card after just a few looks at the incident, also calling a “bunker”. So Wayne Barnes left time, almost 8 minutes, for his friends in the video to decide if this “foul play” deserved more than those 10 minutes off the field, why not get a possible red card, which completely changed would be the situation. this whole ending. The yellow card was eventually confirmed, with Wayne Barnes explaining that Frizell did not press directly on Mbonambi’s lower limbs.

To try and compensate for the loss of his only professional hooker, Jacques Nienaber brought in Deon Fourie, a third row but also capable of playing hooker. Recall that the South African coach decided to replace his replacement hooker Malcolm Marks, who was injured and pulled out of the World Cup, with Handre Pollara, leaving Mbonambi as the only real hooker in the group.