The performance of South African rugby officials has come under the microscope, after a string of visiting Super Rugby teams have been rocked by lopsided penalty counts and questionable TMO decisions.
And the numbers appear to support their protests.
On Sunday (NZT), the Crusaders were denied a game-clinching try by a highly debatable forward-pass call by TMO Marius Jonker in their draw with the Stormers in Cape Town.
That came a week after being left frustrated by rulings against them by referee Rasta Rasivhenge in their match against the Bulls, where they were the wrong end of a 12-4 penalty count.
The Highlanders suffered a similar fate under Rasivhenge's whistle the week prior, falling to a heavy 12-3 penalty count deficit.
A fortnight ago, Australia's Waratahs experienced the wrath of referee Egon Seconds in their one-point loss to the Lions.
The numbers tell a damning tale when it comes to Seconds. In fixtures he's adjudicated in South Africa against foreign sides, the penalty count is a staggering 31-3 in favour of the home team.
For Rasivhenge, that ratio is 44-23 against the offshore sides.
Overall, international teams have lost the penalty count 96-47 when playing in South Africa against the Bulls, Lions, Stormers and Sharks - with a South African referee in charge.
The Chiefs are the only international team to have won a penalty count in South Africa this season, when they outscored the Bulls 56-20 under referee AJ Jacobs. That count that day was 9-4 in the NZ side's favour.
The appointment of just two South African officials - Jaco Peyper (referee) and Jonker (TMO) - for the Rugby World Cup in Japan came in for some heavy criticism earlier this month, but on this evidence, that decision may be well justified.
Newshub.
