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SYDNEY - The Crusaders arrive in Bloemfontein this week with their Super 14 rugby hosts the Cheetahs the subjects of an official complaint from the Waratahs over their treatment last weekend.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the Waratahs lodged a complaint with governing body Sanzar after losing 26-30
to the Cheetahs in Kimberley.
Their biggest concern was a pre-match incident when parachutists landed on the field in the middle of the Waratahs' warmups, with young first five-eighth Kurtley Beale forced to take evasive action.
"They were landing in the middle of our warm-up, literally in the middle of our skill drills," Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie said.
"Then they were advising us that we should be moving. We said, 'Well, we are entitled to our space by the Sanzar rule'.
"The parachutists should have been landing in the middle of the field, but they landed in our end, not even in our half, but our quarter.
"It's frustrating. And we didn't even know (there would be parachutists) until it was happening and became a safety issue."
The Cheetahs meanwhile undertook an uninterrupted warmup at the other end of the ground.
The complaint is unlikely to result in any official sanctions but McKenzie said it was made to ensure host teams "respect the agreed minimum standards that the tournament and games are to be run under".
Other incidents which irked the Waratahs were:
* A cavalcade of 10 Harley Davidson motorcycles circling near the Waratahs' warmup area and their doctor Sharron Flahive nearly being hit by one.
* Only receiving three cases of bottled water before the match in 37degC temperatures.
* Their physio Stuart Pavley being struck from behind by the Cheetahs' mascot.
* The home side insisting on a 12-1/2 minute halftime break instead of the usual 10 minutes.
* Cheetahs reserves retrieving balls from over the touchline to return to their teammates for quick restarts.
* Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus' team not being released until 20 minutes before kickoff instead of the one hour stated in Sanzar regulations.
The defending champion Crusaders play the Cheetahs on Sunday (NZT) fresh from an upset 3-9 loss to the Lions in Johannesburg.
Coach Robbie Deans insisted the home side's antics, notably the late naming of their team, wouldn't be a distraction.
"I don't think about that. They can do whatever they like, it doesn't concern me," Deans told The Press.
- NZPA