Sharks scrum half Jaden Hendrikse was shown a straight red card against the British & Irish Lions on Saturday for an elbow to the head of Liam Williams.
The 21-year-old was having a brilliant game at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria before a moment of madness just after half time cost his side big time.
Hendrikse was at the centre of a scuffle at the side of the pitch when he threw an elbow into the back of Liam Williams’ head as he lay on the ground.
Following a TMO referral, referee Wayne Barnes gave Hendrikse his marching orders and up to that point the scores were level, but with the Sharks down to 14 men the Lions ran away to a 31-71 win.
Jaden Hendrikse red card vs B&I Lions pic.twitter.com/tKH6JbZKB7
— shay waterworth (@ShayWaterworth) July 11, 2021
“When you’re a youngster, you’re no different from the other scrumhalves coming in, but he’s got to know when to draw the line,” said Sharks coach Sean Everitt.
“He’ll learn from this incident and it’s our job as coaches to develop these young men into gentlemen and have respect for the opposition and the officials.
“We’ll have a chat with him, but off the field, he’s the total opposite. He’s quiet and he doesn’t say much.
“I do feel for the guy. He was remorseful and no one likes to get a red card against an international team and put your team under pressure. It’s a learning experience for him and I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
Hendrikse scored the Sharks’ third try of the first half and was an integral part of his side’s impressive performance in the opening 40 minutes. Full match highlights are available below:
The Lions will next play South Africa A on 14 July in Cape Town as they prepare for their first of three Test matches against the Springboks on 24 July.
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