You dont mess with Joe Marler! #rugbyworldcup2023 #rugby

In the Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa on October 21, 2023, Joe Marler, an England prop, expressed his displeasure at an off-the-ball tackle from Faf de Klerk, a South Africa scrum-half, by physically handling the diminutive Springbok playmaker.

Some fans praised Marler for showing de Klerk who is boss, while others criticized him for being disrespectful and unprofessional. The incident did not result in any disciplinary action for either player.

This was not the only time that de Klerk was involved in a controversial incident on the rugby field. In January 2023, he was accused of threatening to hack a South African police captain to death, but he denied the allegations and said he was in Japan at the time. In August 2022, he was knocked out by a knee from New Zealand winger Caleb Clarke in a Rugby Championship match.