Johnny Sexton, the Ireland fly-half, faces allegations of foul play during his team’s recent World Cup victory over South Africa.
A widely circulated image on social media shows Sexton in possession of a mysterious bottle.
The current regulations enforced by the RFU stipulate that team medics are permitted to carry only water during matches.
Posting on Facebook, one fan wrote: “Can one of the clever people please explain why the old man is allowed to consume gummy berry juice during play. Rule says, only water is allowed.”
Another fan chimed in, explaining, “That’s actually pickle juice. It’s known to help prevent cramps.”
“Some may argue it’s an energy supplement, but the rulebook clearly states water only,” noted another commenter.
In a lighthearted jest, one fan quipped, “Perhaps it’s the tears of South African supporters he’s sipping on.”
Adding to the humor, someone else humorously commented, “Those are Springbok tears, carefully distilled and sweetened, because they’re known to be quite salty.”
Another commented: “You’re making the allegation that it’s against World rugbys laws to be drinking anything other than water during the match but have yet to provide a single piece of evidence to back up your claim. It’s desperate stuff.”
Light-hearted jab:
After the game on Saturday, Sexton threw a lighthearted jab following the victory as he shared a photo with all the Irish backs in the dressing room.
Posting a photo, Sexton had a little play on words as he said, “Hon the backs” after beating the Boks.
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Springbok fans lay into Ireland ‘poaching players’ after World Cup defeat
One impassioned supporter vented their frustration, stating, “Ireland’s strategy of recruiting overseas-born players is yielding unexpected dividends!”
A second fan chimed in, remarking, “It’s quite astonishing to witness the multitude of foreign-developed players donning the Irish jersey, considering the substantial resources they allocate to their youth development programs.”
Yet another South African lamented, “I haven’t heard many Irish accents while watching this match. Seems like there are more Aussies and Kiwis on the Irish side.”
The criticism didn’t stop there, as some Springbok loyalists also turned their attention to the game’s referee, Ben O’Keeffe.
One disgruntled fan didn’t mince words, exclaiming, “My word, that was an abysmal display of officiating by Ben O’Keeffe!”
A fellow supporter echoed the sentiment, noting, “O’Keeffe’s performance was nothing short of a calamity, but regrettably, we couldn’t expect anything better from him.”
Below, you’ll find a ranking of tier one nations, organized by the number of foreign-born players included in their respective squads.
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Scotland (15)
WP Nel (South Africa), Pierre Schoeman (South Africa), Javan Sebastian (England), Ewan Ashman (Canada), Sam Skinner (England), Jack Dempsey (Australia), Hamish Watson (England), Ali Price (England), Ben White (England), Ben Healy (Ireland), Chris Harris (England), Cameron Redpath (France), Sione Tuipulotu (Australia), Kyle Steyn (South Africa), Duhan van der Merwe (South Africa).
Italy (11)
Ivan Nemer (Argentina), Hame Faiva (New Zealand), Dino Lamb (England), David Sisi (Germany), Toa Halafihi (New Zealand), Sebastian Negri (Zimbabwe), Martin Page-Relo (France), Juan Ignacio Brex (Argentina), Ange Capuozzo (France), Monty Ioane (Australia), Paolo Odogwu (England),
Wales (10)
Taulupe Faletau (Tonga), Tomas Francis (England), Dan Lydiate (England), Will Rowlands (England), Henry Thomas (England), Christ Tshiunza (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Gareth Anscombe (New Zealand), George North (England), Nick Tompkins (England), Johnny Williams (England),