Sir, At least Schalk Burger suffered some punishment, albeit insufficient. Compare please with the apparently deliberate attack on Brian O’Driscoll by the All Blacks in the first Lions Test four years ago, or the stamping by Ali Williams on the face of my son, Josh Lewsey, in a New Zealand v England match two years previously. Williams was cleared of wrongdoing, but these incidents are disgusting in themselves, and the inaction of the authorities will eventually lead to the death of this great game.

D. G. Lewsey

Chipperfield, Herts

Sir, Your readers’ self-righteousness is astounding. Lay criminal charges against Schalk Burger (letters, June 30)? Then perhaps Andrew Sheridan should be charged, too, with assault with intention to cause grievious bodily harm, for his vicious attack on Andries Bekker’s groin. Perhaps Brian O’Driscoll should be charged with assault for the punches he threw at Victor Matfield and Juan Smith. Perhaps Matthew Rees should be charged for his punch on Bismarck du Plessis the previous week. Perhaps O’Driscoll should lay charges in New Zealand against Tana Umaga for the spear tackle that confined him to the sidelines of another losing Lions tour four years ago. Or perhaps readers should dismount their high horses and stop hypocritically trying to impose a more stringent code of conduct on us provincials than that which they apply to themselves.

Pierre Burger

Johannesburg

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