Stuart Hogg has issued a statement via the British and Irish Lions after he was accused of biting South African fullback Willie le Roux in the second test of the series.
South Africa won the match 27-9 in a very physical and often controversial match which many believe could have seen multiple red cards.
In addition to the controversial decision of Cheslin Kolbe getting a yellow card where many believe it was a red card, and other seemingly missed calls entirely, most of which has been targeted at the Springboks, it appears that an alleged bite was missed on the day, which would have been an automatic red card.
Video of the alleged incident has been circulating social media since the final whistle.
This Hogg bite allegation looks worse on video@lionsofficial @Springboks pic.twitter.com/D3stdjdRKZ
— Province Fan (@ProvinceFan) July 31, 2021
In a statement released by the Lions, Hogg denied any allegations of the incident, and reinforced his call for respect for the referees and the spirit of the game.
"Following speculation that has surfaced online, I would like to categorically deny any foul play in last night's game," Hogg said.
"I would never bite an opponent and I am annoyed and upset by this unsubstantiated accusation. I've always been proud of playing rugby in the spirit of the game.
"Respect to the Springboks for their deserved win yesterday. The squad is hurting after last night’s defeat, but it’s all to play for next week. It’s going to be a cup final and everyone’s going to be up for it."
The alleged biting incident was accompanied by images of Maro Itoje kneeling on the neck of Damian de Allende before appearing to dive afterwards in an attempt to draw a penalty of his own.
Not a great look from Maro Itoje is it #LionsRugby pic.twitter.com/6rdhCAncjr
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) July 31, 2021
Catch every moment of the British and Irish Lions series on Off The Ball, with live commentary from the likes of Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Keith Wood, Alan Quinlan and more throughout the test series.
The 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour on OTB Sports with Vodafone. Lead Partner of the British and Irish Lions
Download the British & Irish Lions App, Powered by Vodafone, to stay connected to the Lions this summer
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
