Comments by controversial Springboks coach Peter de Villiers appearing to condone eye-gouging were "crass and pathetic", according to the British and Irish Lions scrum coach.

De Villiers refused to condemn Schalk Burger after the South African flanker was yellow carded for gouging Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald in the first minute of last Saturday's second Test, won 28-25 by the home side, and then appeared to condone the act as part of rugby.

Burger received an eight-week ban after the game, while the Bok coach contended he had not even deserved to be sin-binned.

De Villiers and South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins were subsequently forced into issuing a joint statement condemning all acts of foul play.

Lions scrum coach Graham Rowntree on Wednesday dubbed De Villiers' post-match comments "crass" and "pathetic".

"They were completely out of order," said the former Leicester, England and Lions prop. "I'm glad he's had to withdraw them. And indeed he's being investigated a bit further.

"I've been gouged," he added. "There's no place in the game for gouging. I think it's ridiculous what he said.

"For any young, aspiring player or parents watching that game, you have the national coach almost saying it's okay, it's ridiculous.

"We're upset by it. You can't get away with making those comments. The actual thing's been dealt with now, the incident, Burger's been banned. We're quite happy to move on."

Rowntree said that the issue would not be preying on Lions minds come Saturday's third and final Test at Ellis Park here, but added that increased bans would probably be the only way for the IRB to go to cut out gouging.

"It's not something we'll be going into the game worried about or having in our minds at all.

"How a player can think he can get away with it with so many cameras watching the game is beyond me.

"I've never gouged anyone. What would make a guy want to do that, what advantage he thinks he can away with by doing that, and how he thinks he can get away with it is beyond thought for me.

"It is indefensible."

Rowntree added that he thought the reputation of Burger, the IRB's world player of the year in 2004, had "probably" gone down among the touring Lions.

"There's been no official apology," he said, stressing that it had not been right for De Villiers to defend Burger, "not for acts like that."

Lions captain Paul O'Connell added that De Villiers had made those post-match comments without thinking.

"It was a bad comment to make," said the Munster and Ireland lock. "It was a clumsy comment to make after the match."

AFP

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