The fallout from the Sharks versus Ospreys match last week has gone nuclear, with the owner of the Durban team, Marco Masotti, suggesting that lie detector tests could get to the bottom of the uncontested scrums issue that ruined the game.
The Ospreys won 21-17, but the final 15 minutes became a farce after explosive scrumming by Sharks replacement props Ox Nche and Vincent Koch, who had the Welshmen backpedalling, only for the Ospreys to put up a white flag, claiming that they had run out of fit props.
Some of those props are playing this weekend against Cardiff.
In another controversy in the game that evoked the ire of South Africans, Sharks wing Ethan Hooker seemed to be late-tackled by Ospreys wing Luke Morgan in the process of scoring. Hooker suffered a dislocated shoulder, but the match officials ruled no wrongdoing.
Masotti, still seething, has probably tongue in cheek — but making his point nonetheless — suggested that the Welsh side have undermined the integrity of the game to the point that he compares what went on in Bridgend to the cheating of Argentine Diego Maradona at the 1986 soccer World Cup in a match against England.
Maradona leapt up into the air and pretended to head the ball into the goal; instead, he used his hand to swat the ball into the net. The act was christened the ‘Hand of God’.
Masotti wrote on X: “I walked into the Bridgend stadium last Saturday and felt the spirit of rugby with so many Welsh legends plastered on the walls — only to leave with the spirit of Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ following the uncontested scrums.
“The integrity of our URC league demands better. Is anyone involved willing to submit to a lie detector test? I am sure our fans will offer a reward to anyone who comes forward with information.”
