Mark Jones’ side sealed a superb 21-17 win over the Sharks but South African fans have been left furious in the aftermath
South African rugby fans and journalists have been left fuming at Ospreys wing Luke Morgan, accusing the Welshman of taking a “cheap shot” at Springbok star Ethan Hooker during the Welsh side’s controversial victory over the Sharks on Saturday that has seen them accused of “cheating” by one pundit.
Mark Jones’ side held on to seal a superb 21-17 win in Bridgend as they all but ended the South African outfit’s hopes of making the United Rugby Championship play-offs, with tries from Dan Edwards, Jac Morgan and Garyn Phillips seeing them come out on top.
However, the events of the match have certainly irked Sharks fans, players and coaches alike, with head coach JP Pietersen questioning the authenticity of an injury to Phillips, which saw the final 15 minutes of the contest played with uncontested scrums, at a time when the visitors were getting the upper hand at the set-piece.
JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more
But in addition to questioning whether the Ospreys deliberately “took away the scrum contest”, those in South Africa have also pointed the finger at former Wales U20s back Morgan, accusing him of a “reckless act” against Hooker.
On the stroke of half-time, the Sharks centre broke away to score his side’s second try of the match, racing clear of the Ospreys defence from inside his own half to cross. While nobody was able to catch him, Morgan was in hot pursuit and leapt after Hooker as he dived over the line, landing on top of the South Africa international in the process.
While he stared Morgan down as he got to his feet, Hooker didn’t initially appear to be in pain but he soon grabbed his shoulder in discomfort and was replaced at half-time by Makazole Mapimpi.
The score was reviewed by the TMO but Morgan’s actions were not highlighted and no punishment was brought against the Ospreys man, who played on throughout the second half. You can watch the incident in full here.
After the game, Pietersen confirmed that Hooker had dislocated his shoulder, with the South African international set to miss the end of the season.
“Ethan’s injury was a massive blow for us,” the Sharks boss told reporters. “After scoring a try, the rules say you are not supposed to dive on a player and rules are there to protect players and sadly that did not happen.
“He dislocated his shoulder. He is a massive presence for us and to lose him after the first half was very disappointing and frustrating.”
While Pietersen was angered by what he had seen, there has been a more dramatic reaction back in South Africa, with Morgan finding himself at the centre of a furious fan and media campaign.
South African outlet Nova News said the Ospreys wing’s actions were “inexplicable” and “a moment of madness”, accusing him of “robbing [the Sharks] of a key playmaker at a crucial juncture of the season.”
Rugby365 described it a “cheap shot” against Hooker and SuperSport said it was “reckless” behaviour from Morgan, with the 33-year-old also branded “Chump of the Week” in a furious article in The South African.
The reaction from South African fans on social media has been even more drastic, with one saying: “It’s not close, he wasn’t committed, it’s thuggery and has resulted in Hooker being out the game for an extended period.”
Another called on the URC and World Rugby to step in, writing: “Absolutely pathetic that Luke Morgan will escape punishment for this. We don’t do this s*** anymore. Why do we have rules? Or are rules only enforced when it’s a Saffa player in the wrong?”.
In terms of Phillips being replaced and the game going to non-contestable scrums, former sevens star Jonathan Mokuena has urged the Sharks to demand answers, according to Planet Rugby.
“If I was JP Pietersen and the management, I would definitely be having a look at that. For one, I would want to see an injury report on the players that actually went off the field,” he said.
“If they decided to fake an injury, that’s against the laws of the game.
“At the time I found that the Sharks were slowly but surely starting to find their mojo. Ox Nche and Vincent Koch were really doing well applying pressure on their own ball and the opposition ball, so it’s something the Sharks need to look in to.
“Irrespective, they had an opportunity to win the game. I think for me that would be the bigger worry, in terms of finding answers for that, rather than the fact that the Ospreys ‘cheated’ to win the game.”
Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.