Patrick McKendry: Match officials must pay for blunder over Piers Francis head injury

Piers Francis was knocked unconscious by Shaun Treeby in this tackle during the Blues' loss to the Stormers in Cape Town. Photo / Photosport

Piers Francis and his Blues teammates were let down badly by the match officials at Newlands yesterday, and there must be consequences for the credibility of the competition and those of the other officials who are discharging their duties with competence.

Super Rugby organisers Sanzaar must investigate why referee Jaco van Heerden, TV match official Shaun Veldsman and the assistant refs Marius van der Westhuizen and Cwengile Jadezweni decided Shaun Treeby's swinging arm to the jaw of Francis, which knocked the Blues No10 unconscious, was not a red card offence.

The citing official, like most people who have seen the incident at Newlands, believes it was, and therefore Treeby will face a hearing tonight. The Kiwi midfielder's action wasn't deliberate, but it was reckless, and the damage done was plain to see.

On a weekend where rugby's head injury rate was again in the spotlight - three players in the Chiefs v Crusaders match in Suva left the field and didn't return due to concussion - the South African quartet must explain to Sanzaar why they believed Treeby's tackle was only a penalty offence.

The competition organisers, and World Rugby, have dictated that high tackles have no place in the game and will be treated as such. Just what pictures were van Heerden and Veldsman, in particular, seeing?

The Blues will harbour a burning sense of injustice after this 30-22 defeat, because that obvious case of foul play only about five minutes after halftime and with the Blues leading 19-10, wasn't the only thing van Heerden got wrong.

They are appealing the two yellow cards shown to wing Matt Duffie which resulted in him being sent from the pitch in the final quarter - the first for being offside at the breakdown after a series of penalties by his team on defence, and the second a tackle on Cheslin Kolbe while the Stormers wing was on the ground.

Neither incident warranted a yellow card, but the Blues will have a chance to state their case via a video conference and, while Duffie is likely to escape without further sanction, the hearing should be used to turn the spotlight on van Heerden's performance.

The Stormers' final two tries were disputed by the Blues, who felt Dillyn Leyds didn't take a quick penalty tap from the mark and that Sikhumbuzo Notshe scored from a double movement.

Contrast van Heerden's performance with that of Mike Fraser during the Crusaders' 31-24 victory over the Chiefs in Suva, a match between two fierce rivals which had the potential to ignite, and not in a good way, but which didn't due to Fraser's control and the decisions he made in tandem with TMO Shane McDermott.

The casualty rate was high - Crusaders midfielder Ryan Crotty, and Chiefs backs Sam McNicol and Stephen Donald suffered concussion - but not through foul play, and Fraser showed empathy and a real feel for the game which allowed it to flow.

Match officials, like players, are only human and make mistakes. But players are often dropped for theirs.

They're given a chance to improve while allowing others opportunities, and it will fascinating to see what price, if any, van Heerden and his countrymen pay for theirs.