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Former international referee Nigel Owens says Cheslin Kolbe was 'very lucky' to avoid red for a high tackle on Conor Murray as South Africa levelled the series by winning a fiery second Test 27-9 on Saturday.
Lions scrum-half Murray was taken out in the air by Springboks winger Kolbe during an ill-tempered first-half at Cape Town Stadium.
Referee Ben O'Keeffe's decided to brandish a yellow card to Kolbe instead of red.
South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe escaping a red card for a high tackle on Conor Murray
Owens said he would have sent off Kolbe.
He said: ‘The only mitigating circumstances here would have been whether Tom Curry and Dan Biggar shield him, and affect Kolbe’s line which causes him to do an action which he wouldn’t have done if they weren’t blocking him.
‘They don’t do this. There’s not mitigation here. Biggar and Curry don’t affect - he has enough time to change what he’s doing. Mitigation is gone.
’Biggar had tried, but he hasn’t. The onus now - once he gets into the air, you have to be aware
