All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster has avoided commenting on a controversial incident involving captain Kieran Read in their 23-13 victory over the Springboks on Saturday.
A video doing the rounds shows Read preventing Pieter-Steph du Toit from making a tackle at a lineout, by dangerously grabbing the Bok flank around the neck.
With no TMO intervention, the incident went unseen and unpunished by French referee Jerome Garces, with Read seemingly having escaped further sanction, with no disciplinary action having been taken post-game by the match officials.
World Rugby regulations require that citings occur within 24 hours of a match.
When questioned about the incident at a media conference on Monday, Foster said he had seen the footage, but refrained from commenting on Read’s misdeed.
‘I think the game needs to be reassured we are probably the most scrutinised World Cup we’ve ever had with the amount of cameras on and what people are looking at, and citing commissioners and TMOs,’ said Foster.
‘You’ve just got to have faith in that programme rather than reacting to social media.’
Watch the incident below.
Will Kieran Read be cited later today?
— RugbyInsideline (@RugbyInsideLine) September 22, 2019
Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images
