The Springboks have been warned that World Rugby could investigate the confusion surrounding Eben Etzebeth during their defeat against Australia.
Former Wallabies Michael Hooper and Morgan Turinui discussed the incident after the Test in Perth, with Turinui expecting World Rugby to take a closer look at what happened.
It came late in the game after South Africa had already emptied their bench.
What happened?
Etzebeth looked set to leave the field, with Franco Mostert preparing to come back on.
That is where the confusion started.
There appeared to be uncertainty over whether Etzebeth was leaving for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) or because of another injury.
That distinction was important.
Under World Rugby's HIA rules, a player leaving for an assessment can be temporarily replaced.
But if Etzebeth was simply injured, South Africa could not make the same change after using their replacements.
In the end, Etzebeth stayed on.
Rassie Erasmus later played down suggestions there was anything untoward about the incident.
"We don't control that from a coach's box, what he's going for," he said.
"I think he wasn't marked as HIA; he was marked as injured. Then, obviously, you can't put another player on."
Hooper and Turinui were not impressed with how it played out, describing the situation as "farcical".
Turinui went a step further, suggesting World Rugby would now investigate.
Could the Springboks be punished?
Firstly, an investigation would not mean South Africa had done anything wrong.
There is a big difference between confusion over a replacement and deliberately trying to get around the rules.
World Rugby can, however, review cases where there are concerns that the HIA process may have been used for tactical reasons.
If an investigation found deliberate wrongdoing and it became a misconduct case, World Rugby's regulations include a number of possible punishments.
They include:
- A warning or reprimand
- A fine
- Suspensions
- Points deductions
- Cancellation of a match result
- Forfeiture of a match
That does not mean the Springboks are facing any of those punishments.
They are simply among the sanctions available to World Rugby if misconduct is proven.
For now, Erasmus' position is clear. He says the Etzebeth incident came down to confusion over why the lock was leaving the field.
World Rugby has not announced any disciplinary action against South Africa.
