Former Springboks coach Nick Mallett says Canan Moodie was “fortunate” after the referee’s leniency
- Former Springboks coach Nick Mallett raised questions about referee consistency, saying Canan Moodie was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card
- Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted after the match that Moodie was lucky with some close referee calls that could easily have changed the result
- Despite the controversy, the Springboks delivered a composed performance to secure their second successive Rugby Championship title at Twickenham
Former Springboks coach Nick Mallett believes centre Canan Moodie benefited from referee Andrea Piardi’s leniency during South Africa’s 29–27 victory over Argentina at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Saturday.
Source: Getty Images
The hard-fought win secured the Springboks’ second consecutive Rugby Championship title, marking a historic back-to-back triumph for the world champions.
However, much of the post-match debate centred on Moodie, who was shown an early yellow card for head contact with Argentina’s Juan Cruz Mallía.
Later in the match, he appeared to deliberately knock the ball on, yet escaped a second yellow card, a decision that drew scrutiny from Mallett.
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Speaking on the Talking Boks podcast with Brenden Nel, Mallett compared the incident to a recent United Rugby Championship clash in Pretoria where Leinster’s Will Connors received only a yellow card for a head-first tackle on Bulls number eight JJ Theron. Mallett argued that Connors should have been sent off for the dangerous contact.
“The thing with Moodie is that his second infringement was more clearly a yellow card than the first,” Mallett said.
“He was lucky not to get another yellow, which would effectively have been a red and forced a substitution. I don’t think I’m being biased here, and corrected I’ve been quite critical of Moodie myself.”
Mallett questioned the consistency of officiating in head-contact decisions, saying,
“We’re seeing yellow cards given for minimal force, yet in cases like Moodie’s, where there’s clear intent, the sanction isn’t applied. I think the referee may have been trying to balance things after an early caution.”
Despite the controversy, the Springboks’ disciplined performance and set-piece dominance ensured they finished the Rugby Championship on a high, reinforcing their reputation as one of rugby’s most formidable sides.
Rassie Erasmus weighs in on refereeing
Mallett’s comments reflect his growing frustration with inconsistent officiating. He referred again to the Pretoria clash, insisting that Connors’ head contact on Theron was a clear red-card offence. He used that as a benchmark for why Moodie’s second offence should have drawn another yellow card.
Source: Getty Images
While neither Canan Moodie nor Andrea Piardi has publicly addressed the incident, Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledged that the young centre may have escaped harsher punishment.
“I’m pretty sure Canan was lucky that he didn’t get a red card for that tap-down, almost two yellow cards there,” Erasmus admitted after the match.
“There were one or two hits where I thought that might have been a yellow.”
Reports suggest that Piardi’s officiating team viewed Moodie’s action as a genuine attempt to intercept the ball rather than a deliberate knock-down, which influenced the decision to award only a penalty.
Given how close the game was, those fine margins were significant. Had Moodie been sent off, the contest and possibly the outcome might have turned in Argentina’s favour.
Erasmus opens up on calories burned
Briefly News also reported that coach Rassie Erasmus took to social media on Saturday 27 September 2025, to open up about how nerve-wracking the two hours were while coaching the Boks against Argentina.
The South African rugby national team faced immense pressure, and Erasmus shared the toll the job takes on him.
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Source: Briefly News
