Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth is set to appear before a disciplinary panel on Tuesday, 2 December following the red card he received for alleged eye-gouging during South Africa’s 73-0 demolition of Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
A verdict is expected on Wednesday, 3 December with the 34-year-old potentially facing a lengthy suspension.
Heated scuffle
Eben Etzebeth was dismissed with two minutes remaining in the Test after clashing with Welsh flanker Alex Mann in a heated scuffle involving several players.
During a consultation with the TMO, French referee Luc Ramos ruled that Etzebeth had made clear contact with Mann’s left eye.
“You have a clear finger in the eyes, so for me, it’s a permanent red card,” Ramos said during the review.
Potential Ban Looms
The incident comes at a critical time for Etzebeth’s club, the Sharks, who kick off their Champions Cup campaign against Toulouse on Sunday, 7 December before hosting Saracens the following week.
World Rugby’s sanctions for eye-gouging range widely:
- Low-end offence: 4 weeks
- Mid-range: 8 weeks
- Top-end: 12 weeks
- Maximum for intentional contact: Up to 4 years
Mitigating factors – such as Etzebeth’s relatively good disciplinary record and reports that he apologised to Mann after the match – may reduce any sanction.
However, if the panel rules that the act was intentional, a substantial ban appears unavoidable.
Erasmus: “It didn’t look good”
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus did not defend the incident.
“It didn’t look good, I think it was a justified red card,” Erasmus admitted.
“How it happened and why it happened, and if he was provoked, I’m not sure. But that’s definitely not the way we would have liked to end the game.”
Context: Previous Eye-Contact Cases
The sport has seen several similar incidents in recent years:
- Makazole Mapimpi, Etzebeth’s Sharks and Springbok team-mate, received a three-match ban in January for making contact with the eye area of a Cardiff player. He was previously suspended for two weeks in 2023 for a similar offence.
- In April, Henco Venter (Glasgow Warriors) was banned for six weeks for making contact with Dan Cole’s eye area in a Champions Cup match.
- High-profile past cases include Chris Ashton (10-week ban in 2016) and Dylan Hartley, who received a six-month suspension in 2007.
Eben Etzebeth’s hearing will determine whether his latest disciplinary setback becomes one of the more severe sanctions in modern rugby.
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