LIONS manager Fran Cotton yesterday expressed satisfaction that the Mpumalanga Rugby Union (RU) has accepted that the Lions have reason to feel aggrieved about the circumstances surrounding the incident that has put second row forward Doddie Weir out of the tour.
Weir's career is in the balance because of the severe knee damage he sustained when kicked by Mpumalanga second row Marious Bosman during the match in Witbank last Wednesday. Weir is due to return home today and will be considering his position on legal action. Some of the activities of Bosman's second row partner Elande van der Berg were also called into question by the Lions.
On Thursday, Cotton had called on the Mpumalanga RU to take action over what he described as "gratuitous violence as bad as it can be."
The video of the match was viewed on Thursday night by the executive committee of the Mpumalanga Union and they have referred the matter to their disciplinary committee. "We watched the video of the incidents in question and we decided that the Lions have grounds for complaints," said Mpumalanga president Henie Erasmus yesterday.
"One of the problems in taking disciplinary action against any player in this instance is because they were penalised by the referee. He is deemed to have dealt with the incidents. The tour agreement states that in those circumstances players cannot as such be cited."
There is however no doubt that there is now a great responsibility on the Mpumalanga RU to take action, whether it be to cancel Bosman's contract or some other means of imposing severe punishment.
The way is open, of course, for Weir to pursue a case against Bosman. "The Four Home Unions cannot take legal action but the player can," said Cotton. "We will discuss the matter with Doddie before he goes home. He can take legal advice on his return and might be well advised to do so."
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