Robert Marawa Praises Angus Gardner After Springboks Beat All Blacks 33-26
- Sports broadcaster Robert Marawa reacted to South Africa's win over New Zealand in the second Great Rugby Rivalry match in Cape Town
- Marawa singled out referee Angus Gardner for praise after a closely contested contest between the two sides
- Siya Kolisi's return to the field drew attention from fans who followed the broadcaster's post
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South Africa defeated New Zealand 33-26 on Saturday, 29 August 2026, levelling the Great Rugby Rivalry series at one match apiece after the Springboks had lost the opening fixture at Ellis Park the previous weekend.
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Sports broadcaster Robert Marawa took to X shortly after full time and had good things to say about the match referee, Australian referee Angus Gardner. Gardner was a late change after Georgian official Nika Amashukeli, who was originally appointed to referee the match, was ruled out after failing to recover from illness in time
"What a brilliant referee!! Salute ANGUS GARDNER!!!" Marawa wrote.
Referee decision divides supporters
Gardner's handling of the match became one of the most debated aspects of the result. While some commenters sided with Marawa's assessment, others were sharply critical. User @MrT198736 offered a blunt counter:
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"The ref was bad," a view echoed by @gangbeasts65752, who alleged a "clear obstruction miss when SA scored."
@mabz_peterson added a more specific grievance, arguing that Gardner applied the laws inconsistently:
"Nah, Angus was inconsistent; the Lood challenge was the same as Ardie's one, but he penalised Lood."
As seen in the tweet below.
Kolisi return and Springbok execution praised
Beyond the officiating debate, the performance of the Springboks themselves generated considerable comment. @sean_munemo highlighted what he believed were the key factors behind the victory:
"Great Game, good to see Siya back, SFM was locked in, gave us some brilliant performance, midfield was on point, and we executed well in their 22, converting every point. For us, controlling the rucks and slowing down their rucks won us the game. Ref was top notch."
The return of captain Siya Kolisi was also noted by @phumla_mpila, who simply wrote:
"Welcome back Siya Kolisi."
Not all responses were favourable to the home side. @_Gxiya_ argued the scoreline flattered South Africa, pointing to the try count:
"Boks are absolutely bad. Backline is lame as hell, no creativity from the players. AB's 4 tries to 3 tell the story. Bok tries came from penalties."
@smbero90 reserved his admiration for the visitors, praising New Zealand's attacking intent:
"The All Blacks are a confident team that believes in their abilities to pass the ball, to run and to score tries, that's rugby. I don't think they kicked even a single penalty for 3 points; they were only looking for tries!"
Springboks fans slam gym video
Briefly News previously reported that the Springboks found themselves at the centre of online controversy on Wednesday 26 August 2026 after posting a gym video ahead of their second Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town. The clip came just days after a bruising 33-16 defeat to New Zealand at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
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Source: Briefly News
