Former Test referee Jonathan Kaplan says Angus Gardner was correct in sending Frans Steyn off during the Sharks' victory over the Chiefs.
The Sharks finished the match with 13 men after Steyn and Bismarck du Plessis were sent for an early shower, but Kaplan, writing for ratetheref.co.za, believes both calls were correct despite Steyn's red card being overturned following a Sanzar judicial hearing.
'Mention must be made of the referee, who under the most trying of circumstances got all three red cards right,' said Kaplan.
'No referee likes to dish out the dreaded red, but Angus Gardner showed great courage when he needed to step up to the plate, and [Hika] Elliot, Du Plessis and Steyn can have no complaints.
'The first two were foul play, plain and simple. The third was more complex but in my opinion correct.
'It is the responsibility of the tackler who lifts an opponent off the ground to ensure that he gets down safely. The fact that someone else joined in the tackle is unfortunate, and was used in mitigation of sentence, but doesn’t excuse what happened.'
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