Rugby: Krige cleared of biting charge

South African rugby captain Corne Krige was angry he had to face a biting allegation at all in Wellington today.

He was cleared of the charge at a judicial hearing and was expected to join his team in Brisbane tonight.

Krige was forced to remain in Wellington this morning to attend the hearing. The Springboks flew to Brisbane at 6am for their next Tri-Nations match there against Australia on Saturday, after last night's 20-41 loss to the All Blacks.

Independent citing commissioner Tim Harding of Australia cited Krige for biting All Black No 8 Scott Robertson's leg in the first half of last night's test at the WestpacTrust Stadium.

Krige denied the allegation strongly at the hearing, attended by Robertson and team-mate Caleb Ralph.

Robertson later said he told the hearing he was not bitten.

Ralph was asked to give evidence as he had reacted by pushing Krige when the offence was alleged to have taken place.

Ralph did react but not because of any biting, a statement from the judicial committee said.

"I don't do those sorts of things, it's not in my nature," a restrained Krige said.

"I don't know how, if anything occurred at the time, it could be interpreted as biting."

Krige declined to comment further on the citing.

The judicial committee consisted of chairman Harold Shand of Australia, Bruce Squire, QC, and former New Zealand Rugby Football Union councillor Mattie Blackburn.

After considering the evidence, "the committee felt it could not be comfortably satisfied that the allegation was proved," the statement from the committee said.

South African prop Johan le Roux was suspended for 13 months for biting All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick's ear in the 1994 test in Wellington.

- NZPA