Warren Gatland told team to report Springboks for ‘feigning injury' tactic

Monday, 01 September 2025 at 09:34

byRugby Rucker

Ahead of England’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa in 2023, Warren Gatland had a clear message for Steve Borthwick: don’t let the Springboks control the battle on or off the field.

The Wales boss, who famously clashed with Rassie Erasmus during the 2021 Lions tour, urged England to question the number of Head Injury Assessments (HIAs) the Springboks used in their dramatic quarter-final win over France.

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“For example, if I was Steve, I would be asking some questions about the number of head injury assessments that South Africa called for in their victory against France.
I am not questioning whether they were legitimate or not but there have been people out there speculating about it and I would certainly be putting it out there and highlighting that it looked unusual and raising questions about the protocol.”

Gatland had already been outspoken about Erasmus’ antics, particularly his stint as a “water boy” during the Lions series. That role, usually reserved for carrying drinks, was later banned by World Rugby. Gatland’s quip at the time summed up the mood:

“If he is going to act as a water boy, at least he should have some water in his bottle.”

Writing in his

Telegraph column, Gatland offered advice to Borthwick as England braced themselves for the Springboks’ power game.

“I know what it is like to go head-to-head with South Africa’s director of rugby, and my advice to Steve Borthwick would be to make sure he gets on the front foot - and combat any dark arts.”

“To have any chance against the Springboks you must attempt not just to match them physically but also to be tactically smart and show no signs of mental weakness.”

When asked if he would ever use HIA protocols as a way of rotating players, Erasmus cut the discussion short:

“no.”

Erasmus has flat-out denied the suggestions, claiming all three players were withdrawn for assessments for their own safety.

“No," the Springboks boss said when asked if he'd exploited the system. "I think that would be totally wrong. No. We really care about our players, and rightly so. I think it was (William) Servat, the French forwards coach, who said he hoped the medical team and the HIA people are ready, because there’s going to be a lot of bumps and bruises.

“You could see when Pieter Steph made a head contact, we had to do an HIA there. It was straight head-to-head, and then the same, I think Duane Vermeulen was actually called by the match-day doctor. Bongi got a bad knock against his head."

He added: "Yes, for us to take those players off – and you know, the chance is always there that they might not pass the HIA – luckily for us, all of them passed their HIAs. I don’t think there’s anything else to discuss about it.”

“Goodbye Caterpillar ruck” – Four more rugby law changes for 2025

Rugby thrives on a mix of tradition and evolution, but some laws may no longer serve the game as effectively as they once did.

As the sport grows faster, stronger, and more tactical, certain laws stand out as ripe for reconsideration—not to upend the game, but to make it fairer, safer, and more exciting.

We highlight four specific laws that, with thoughtful updates, could better reflect the way rugby is played today. These ideas come from a deep respect for the game and a desire to see it flourish for players and fans alike.

World Rugby has shown it’s willing to adapt in recent years—these could be the next steps in that evolution.

1. Fewer Substitutions

Rugby has changed significantly over the years, and one of the biggest shifts is how the bench is used. These days, teams often bring on almost an entirely new forward pack late in the game. Big, fresh players crash into tired defenders, making the final 20 minutes less about skill and endurance, and more about brute force. Many fans and former players feel this has turned rugby into a collision sport rather than a contest of stamina and intelligence.

Reducing the number of substitutions would encourage players to pace themselves. Space would open up in the second half, creating more opportunities for creative play rather than endless phases of pick-and-go. It would reward fitness, smart decision-making, and those capable of performing for the full 80 minutes.

Fewer substitutions wouldn’t just make the game more exciting—it would make it fairer, safer, and more in line with the spirit of what rugby has always been about.

With the rise of 6–2 and even 7–1 bench splits, pioneered by Rassie Erasmus, the trend seems to be heading in the opposite direction. That’s all the more reason to act now.

2. Scrap the Caterpillar Ruck

The caterpillar ruck is one of those tactics that, while legal, just doesn’t sit right with many who love the game. It involves players lining up behind a ruck in a queue, giving the scrum-half extra time and space to kick.

It slows the game to a crawl, gives the defence no real chance to compete, and often feels more like a way to kill momentum than build it.

It may be clever, but it’s not entertaining. Fans want to see fast, hard-fought rugby—not box-kick after box-kick with a queue of bodies shielding the kicker. Eliminating or limiting the caterpillar ruck would speed up the game and reintroduce unpredictability at the breakdown.

This isn’t about removing strategy. It’s about keeping the game flowing and true to what makes rugby exciting: dynamic, contested play.

Referees have improved at calling “use it” earlier, which helps speed things up, but more needs to be done. Getting rid of the caterpillar ruck would go a long way toward fixing the issue.

3. Remove the 20-Minute Red Card

The 20-minute red card was introduced as a middle ground—punishing dangerous play without completely ruining a match. But let’s be honest: it sends the wrong message. If a player commits a reckless or dangerous act, 20 minutes off the field doesn’t always feel like enough—especially for serious offenses, like a high tackle that could end an opponent’s game or season.

Rugby has made major strides in protecting players, especially around the head and neck. Keeping the full red card—where the offending team plays a man down for the rest of the match—reaffirms that commitment. It makes the consequences clear: cross the line, and your team suffers. That’s how you change behaviour.

Yes, it’s tough. Sometimes it may seem harsh. But safety must come first. It’s about respecting the game and the long-term health of every player on the field.

In many ways, the 20-minute red gives officials a cop-out. It’s often seen as the easy option to avoid controversy—even when a full red card is justified.

4. Outlaw the Lineout Maul

Few things in rugby divide opinion quite like the driving maul from a lineout. For some, it’s a show of power and coordination. But for many fans, it feels like a loophole — a near-guaranteed way to score that sucks the creativity and unpredictability out of the game.

A well-drilled pack can set up a maul five metres out, trundle forward almost unstoppably, and fall over the line for a try. Where’s the skill in that? It’s become rugby’s cheat code — more about physics and numbers than ingenuity or flair.

Outlawing the maul as a direct scoring weapon would open the game up. Instead of endless rolling rucks towards the try-line, teams would need to find inventive ways to use space, pass under pressure, or outsmart the defence. That’s what gets fans on their feet.

Defenders, too, would benefit. At the moment, they’re often left with little option but to illegally collapse a maul, leading to a penalty or yellow card. Take away the automatic try-machine, and we’d see fewer cynical infringements, less frustration, and a fairer contest.

The maul will always have a place as a tactical tool in the middle of the pitch — but when it’s allowed to dominate the scoreboard, it turns rugby into something it was never meant to be.

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