South African referee Jaco Peyper has angered French rugby fans after seemingly mimicking the game-changing red card shown to France lock Sebastien Vahaamahina while apparently posing for a picture with Wales fans.
It was perhaps the biggest talking point of a tense affair in Oita, with Vahaamahina given his marching orders for a sickening elbow on Wales flanker Aaron Wainwright in the 48 th minute.
After consultation with the TMO, Peyper showed little hesitation in showing the Frenchman a red card.
After footage showed the replays of the incident, Peyper said: “It’s very clear. You all think that’s a red card?”
Then expla ining his decision to the player and French skipper, Peyper said: “The first action is around the neck, then you take your arm away and deliberately you hit with the elbow in the head.”
Wales eventually went on to seal a dramatic 20 – 19 victory, handing them a semi-final with South Africa in Yokohama.
Now, an image circulating on social media appears to show Peyper posing with jubilant Wales fans – and apparently making reference to the incident, raising his elbow to seemingly mimic the clash with alongside several Wales supporters.
While clearly done in jest, the image has already sparked controversy, particularly on the other side of the Channel.
One France fan said: “Card fully justified, but after this photo I do wonder about the impartiality of the man in black. “
Another said the photo was” Shameful. Like his performance, “while French account Rugby Amateur said:” If this photo is not a fake, it is particularly disturbing “.
Meanwhile, French outletactu.frlabeled the photo “embarrassing” and “unimaginable”.
Even fans outside France were a little taken aback.
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Peyper’s decision to send off Vahaamahina was backed by many onlookers, including Wales legend Gareth Thomas in the ITV Studio, who said: “As he’s walking off and he’s apologizing to his players, don’t apologize now, it’s too late.
“That’s an intentional act of violence, and there is no place for that on the rugby field.
“An apology to me, I’d rather you just walk off. Take that shame and walk off because you deserve the shame of it.
“It’s not a very nice feeling being sent off and walking that kind of walk of shame but when you do something like that, that’s so intentional, and so vicious, then you deserve all the negativity that comes with that walking off. “
It remains to be seen if Peyper will take charge of another game at this year tournament, with referees for the semi-finals set to be announced later this week.
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