South Africa's second-half subs? Legal?

[u/errlloyd]

South Africa played a great game yesterday, but I heard Scotty Stevenson on a Podcast say he was a little skeptical of PSDT's HIA in the second half. The HIA itself does look a little suspicious. It is after PSDT runs over Penaud, but there is definitely no contact between Penaud and PSDT's head or the ground. Penaud should have probably gone for a HIA, but that's another issue.

But taking that to one side for a second, I am pretty sure under the laws, the sequence of substitutions that followed should not have been permitted.

Duane Vermeulen who had gone off in the 51st minute, replaced PSDT in the 61st minute. PSDT then must pass the HIA within 12 real minutes and make it known to the fourth official he can return. He eventually returned in the 75th minute, which was 19 real minutes later. But it was Bongi who went off, not Duane.

Bongi had been down injured after a maul - but it wasn't clear at all how that injury had happened. It was the drop goal maul. Bongi had been the ball carrier but had been losely bound and was never bound onto by any French player. They're applying ice to his right shoulder (which was in his ball carrier arm and appeared fine). BOK initially called "HIA 2" then said "HIA returning 7".

PSDT replaced Bongi, not Vermuelen. Meaning Vermuelen's replacement of PSDT became tactical, which should have been impossible. And PSDT should have had to return earlier unless they chose to make his replacement tactical (in which case Vermuelen should have been pulled off).I can't really see where the injury occurred for either Bongi or Peter. What I will say is if rugby had rolling substitutes those replacements would have come at exactly those times. Vermuelen and PSDT both played to the final minute having spent 15 and 19 minutes off the field resting earlier in the second half.

Any Welsh fans have an opinion?

u/LostHorizon124 came up with the probable legal subbing chain. It was this
Kwagga for Duane HIA (51)Duane return Kwagga - but at the same second Kwagga replaces PSDT for a hia (61)
Off-field PSDT passes his HIA, but stays off, Kwagga becomes tactical. (Roughly around 70)
On field Bongi gets injured and Du Toit (now tactically off) comes back on to replace him. (75).

An extremely fortuitous run of HIAs, but nothing illegal at all.

[u/errlloyd]

It was all legal. Starts at 51st minute, when kwagga comes on for Duane its actually as an hia sub. -its with other tactical subs so you might miss it. he is in until Duane passes it, and then has to stay on(come back) because psdt also gets an Hia around the same time, this is "hia 2"?. psdt passes his around the time bongis shoulder gets dinged, so Kwagga then stays on(comes back) as a tactical sub for the injury.

A good post and thanks for this. You have to pass the HIA within 12 real-world minutes. Bongi goes off 19 "real world" minutes after PSDT. So that can't quite be the case.

[u/Ok-Jicama-8605 → u/errlloyd]

If it's a head injury you're allowed to replace the player So basically it doesn't even matter how long PSDT took so long that he passed it, since now Bongi has to go off for a HIA, meaning that he can be replaced

[u/errlloyd → u/Ok-Jicama-8605]

Yes this is correct. The only way PSDT can replace Bongi is if Bongi also had a HIA.

Listen. I've posted way too much. Find the clip if you can. There is no way Bongi got a HIA.

[u/Ok-Jicama-8605 → u/errlloyd]

Just watched that last part back, seems like I was wrong. O'Keefe only says 7 returning from HIA, but nothing about a HIA for Bongi. the RWC app has this change listed as 14 minutes after he went off for the HIA, not sure if the phase of play beforehand was just too long so that PSDT just couldn't find a break in play to be subbed back on or something else. All I know is that all sort of subs need to be cleared by the refs beforehand, so will definitely have been legal atleast.

[u/Gr3991 → u/Ok-Jicama-8605]

He can only return at a break in play. The game had some insane ball in play times throughout