The sentiment towards Rassie Erasmus and his criticisms of referees seems to be turning. Following the conscious decision this Saturday, it seems, by Supersport to stop the matchday pundits from discussing the ref, and the the Final Whistle guys' approach of rather concentrating on what the team did and didn't do, there has been a lot of "it's enough now" on social media today.
To be honest, I've done my share of whining - and let's face it, there have been decisions made that have cost the Springboks - but my eyes were opened when I had a chat with Gaby Pappas a couple of weeks ago. I've know Gaby for 25 years now. He runs the training of the referees in the Lions union and is a selfless servant of the game.
He is a worried man, he told me. They don't have enough refs in the province (neither do the other unions, he says). Qualified, experienced men are giving up because they've had enough of the abuse they are getting at clubs and schools, from officials, coaches, spectators, parents, players and even schoolboys.
And they cannot recruit enough newcomers to take their place. It's getting so bad that they are going to have to tell clubs and schools, sorry, we don't have a referee for you on Saturday.
What will happen then? When players at club and school level are turned away because the number of teams must be reduced because there's no-one to ref their games, the game is dying.
And it's not the performance of the international referees that is killing it.
When the director of rugby sends out the message that the referees are rubbish, and quite possibly cheating us, then it becomes OK for everyone else to believe that too, and take it out on the men who voluntarily turn up to handle the games at the vital lower levels.
That's why it's enough now.
