South African rugby awoke yesterday to find itself making one of its increasingly sporadic appearances in the international dock after the actions of one fan reaffirmed the worst stereotypes of Springbok supporters.
"You scumbag," screamed the Durban-based Sunday Tribune, capturing the mood of many as they surveyed the damage done by the beer-gutted 42-year-old Piet van Zyl, who waddled on to the pitch at the ABSA Stadium to make his point in a manner reserved for public bars.
Two minutes into the second half of the Tri-Nations match Van Zyl blindsided the 490 security guards on duty as well as the unfortunate referee David McHugh, hurling the Irishman to the ground, landing on him and dislocating his left shoulder so that he could not continue.
The gravity of the assault has prompted Australia to reassess its security plans before next year's World Cup, with the Rugby World Cup general manager Matthew Carroll indicating the International Rugby Board may conduct its own inquiry into the matter.
Van Zyl later said he could no longer stand the treatment meted out to South African teams by referees. But a warm day and the culture of extremely heavy drinking that accompanies South African rugby spoke just as loudly.
McHugh, his arm in a sling and describing himself as "not too bad; a bit shook", made an appearance in a brief preliminary hearing in Durban yesterday and will return to South Africa on September 9 when Van Zyl - released on bail of £180 - will face a charge of assault causing grievous bodily harm.
With 52,000 immediate witnesses and a worldwide audience of TV viewers, justice is likely to be as swift as it was once players and security alike realised what was happening.
Van Zyl was led away with a bloodied nose - apparently the blow was dealt by the Springbok lock AJ Venter, although the All Black flanker Richard McCaw also aimed a punch - and he spent the night in a police cell, where he was no doubt told he had been banned from all South African rugby grounds for life as a thunder-faced Rian Oberholzer, managing director of SA Rugby, calculated the damage done.
"This assault perpetuates the image of the boorish, boerewors -eating [hot dog], brandy-drinking supporter when in fact our supporters are highly intelligent with a keen understanding of the game," he said.
Attacks on referees are not unknown in South African club rugby - they have been shot at, threatened with knives and beaten up at the lowest levels of the game - but this was an unprecedented incident at senior level.
But for Van Zyl, this might have been remembered as one of most compelling meetings between the rivals as five tries flew in in the first half. McHugh's awarding of a penalty try to the All Blacks and his disallowing of a Springbok try were only part of a drama that was finally settled when the impressive Aaron Mauger scored the solitary try of the second half with only a few minutes remaining. But the enduring image of the 2002 Tri-Nations is likely to be of a bloodied Van Zyl being led from the field, a too-tight Springbok jersey riding up over his gut as South African officials looked on in horror.
South Africa: Greeff; Paulse, Joubert, Barry (Russell, 50), Hall; Pretorius, De Kock (Conradie, 50); Sephaka (Le Roux, 59); Dalton, Meyer (Rautenbach, 59), Labuschagne, Venter (Matfield, 71); Van Niekerk, Krige (capt; Scholtz, 71); Skinstad.
Tries: De Kock, Pretorius. Cons: Pretorius 2. Pens: Pretorius 2. Drop goal: Pretorius.
New Zealand : MacDonald (Gibson, 68); Howlett, Umaga, Mauger, Ralph; Mehrtens, Marshall (Kelleher, 67); Hewett, Willis (Hammett, 59), Somerville, Maling (S Broomhall, 59); Jack, Thorne (capt), McCaw, Robertson.
Tries: MacDonald, penalty try, Howlett, Mauger. Cons: A Mehrtens 2. Pens: Mehrtens 2.
Referee: D McHugh (Ire; C White, Eng, 42).
