South African hooker Bismarck du Plessis says there are no hard feelings over the error by referee Romain Poite that led to last weekend’s sending off against New Zealand.

Du Plessis says he doesn’t need an apology from Poite after the French official mistakenly sin-binned him for a legal tackle on All Blacks five-eighth Dan Carter in the first half of the Rugby Championship game.

Du Plessis was shown another yellow card and sent off early in the second half for putting his elbow into the neck of flanker Liam Messam while fending off a tackle.

Du Plessis told The Star newspaper on Friday “I have no doubt that Mr Poite had no ill intentions towards the Springboks or me,” and said he did not want the Frenchman “viewed as a villain”.