Super Rugby
SANZAR delays appeal into Steyn's not guilty verdict
ESPN Staff
March 27, 2015
Francois Steyn may yet receive a suspension despite an original not-guilty verdict © Getty Images
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Super Rugby's governing body SANZAR has lodged an appeal against the outcome of its own judicial hearing of a dangerous tackle charge against Sharks centre Francois Steyn.

At Monday's original judicial hearing, Steyn was found not guilty of lifting and dropping or driving Chiefs five-eighth Aaron Cruden into the ground. The Sharks' player was one of three sent off during the first half of the bruising weekend clash in which the South African outfit edged the Waikato team 12-11 in Durban.

Sharks hooker and skipper Bismarck du Plessis, Steyn and Chiefs hooker Hikawera Elliot were all red-carded by Australian referee Angus Gardner in less than half-an-hour of kick-off at at Kings Park Stadium.

Steyn was dismissed at the 28-minute mark, with the referee overruling the television match official (TMO), who believed the dangerous tackle on Cruden was only a yellow-card offence. On Wednesday night, SANZAR announced it would appeal against the outcome of Steyn's initial judicial hearing.

SANZAR held a preliminary hearing on Thursday in relation to the appeal, with the Appeals Committee directing that written submissions should be be made. The committee established a timetable, with the new time set for March 31 - the first available time and date convenient to all parties.

(Andy Withers, Sam Bruce and Brett McKay discussed Steyn's tackle and the two other red cards from the weekend's Sharks-Chiefs clash in the above Scrum5 podcast)

© AAP

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