Eben Etzebeth: Will miss All Blacks clash
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South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth has been banned for two weeks for head-butting Australian counterpart Nathan Sharpe in Saturday's Rugby Championship clash.
Etzebeth was found guilty at a SANZAR hearing after he thrust his head into the face of the Wallabies veteran in the 25th minute of Australia's come-from-behind win in Perth.
The 20-year-old will miss their encounter with New Zealand but can return for home games against Australia and the All Blacks after his ban ends on September 24.
Etzebeth has been one of the Springboks' best forwards in what has been a poor first Rugby Championship under new coach Heyneke Meyer.
They battled to a draw with newcomer Argentina, then slipped to a fifth straight loss to Australia on Saturday.
In injury news, team doctor Craig Roberts said that wing Bryan Habana should be fit for this weekend's clash with the All Blacks in Dunedin after sustaining an ankle injury against Australia, but props Jannie du Plessis (hamstring) and Pat Cilliers (elbow) are in doubt.
Meyer said that front-row replacements are likely to be summoned from South Africa.
"We are concerned but we will give the guys until tomorrow before we make a final call," he said.
"We do have Dean Greyling on the bench but he is a loosehead. It is also difficult now just to call someone in who might not play. We need to make the right call there."
Comments
safehands says...
Bakkies?bring him back please, he is a definite liability and will only help the AB cause!!
Jaystarr, your comment sums up everything that is ridiculous about the saffa mentality..."They'll have their one eye on the ruck and their other eye looking out for their well-being"...what a dumb comment.
Are you saying that Bok players intentionally go out of their way to hurt players? No need to answer cos I already know...it is inherent in Bok players to try show how supposedly tough they are by 'physical intimidation'...unfortunately you are sadly mistaken about your supposed physical prowess. Botha (for example) clueless and the usual cheap shot ensues...caught again?banned...saffa fans whinge like stuffed pigs?shock horror!!
Look back at England v SA in 2002 at Twickenham...it was the best game I ever watched that encapsulated perfectly this so called 'Bok physicality'. Boks got so wound up cos the intimidation factor was useless and were flying in to rucks with assorted cheapshots...real tough men like Johnson and co just laughed at your boys and pointed out the scoreline at every opportunity?poms winning not just on the scoreboard but mentality wise streets ahead too...it was brilliant!!!
Nothing has changed 10 years later...saffas still think they are the toughest men on the planet (haha) and unable to do anything when this supposed superior physicality they possess doesn't work (surprise surprise)....hmmm...wonder why your team is bang average then and have been for a number of years...let me help you here?Argentina easily countered your forwards (forget the 1st game?they were clearly overawed by the occasion) and the ?supposed? soft Wallaby pack stood up with their own physicality and shunted your boys about?.where in your galaxy then do you think the AB?s will be intimidated by a buffoon like Botha? Getting the picture yet dude?
Posted 01:56 11th September 2012
sandal says...
bokkrige says...
""Why did Adam ash.cooper get away with a double head hunt on Mvovo and JdV.""
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha etc.
Posted 01:10 11th September 2012
rugbyforever says...
Does anyone have the stats on citings, not only the most regular culprits but also the most regular complainants?
Posted 00:46 11th September 2012
rakavi187 says...
is there no more young locks in SA that can be groomed????
Posted 21:59 10th September 2012
rolf says...
headbutting is unacceptable.
so eben geats a break.
but i am not sure if the ABs are happy with the consequences.
Welkom terug, enforcer!
Hope he plays alongside Andries.
Posted 21:59 10th September 2012
bokkrige says...
Why did Adam ash.cooper get away with a double head hunt on Mvovo and JdV. If a bok had done that, all 3 match officials would have been jumping up and down and the guy would have been carded.
Posted 21:31 10th September 2012
runnrugby says...
@daibok LMAO
I choked drinking my coffee reading that
Posted 20:51 10th September 2012
ruckingkiwi says...
I cannot see NZ being worried about this.. Bakkies will be slower and lazier than he ever was, hope SA are lucky enough with injuries not to need him as they may be blown away playing these old guys.
Posted 20:47 10th September 2012
Honestpom says...
Two week ban for this is a joke, he was only posing..........it is becoming tiddlywinks.
Posted 17:41 10th September 2012
daibok says...
Victor is lined up for the week after next when Bakkies gets banned.
Posted 15:17 10th September 2012
JayStarr says...
Ok, I can't hold it in much longer... As a very wise man once said: WHY DON'T WE GO DOWN TO A BALLET SHOP AND GET SOME TUTUS..!
Aaaaah... now I feel better.
Posted 15:15 10th September 2012
JayStarr says...
At the risk of the Big-Bad-Bully-SA brigade lashing out at me, I'll remain shtum on the two week ban of Etzebeth... It's clearly a waste of breath (/energy of my fingers) - the "Citing Commissioner" will just continue as they always have.
Instead, BAKKIES BOTHA..! "Replacement" or "Quake-at-your-knees-ment"? Mwha ha haaaa! I say start him against the All Blacks - show them we mean business. Luke Romano is good, but he is not Brad Thorn - him and his friends will be far more intimidated coming up against The Bakkies than against a 20-year-old. They'll have their one eye on the ruck and their other eye looking out for their well-being...
I say PLAY HIM HM! Play Goosen and Lambie too. We are NOT going to win with Morné, Kirchner and Flip vd Merwe in the starting squad - no chance in hell - so you might as well take a bit of a risk and start Goosen, Lambie and Bakkies. And while you're at it, put Juan de Jongh on the bench.
Posted 15:11 10th September 2012
FaaSamoa says...
ha ha the irony of it - Botha brought back to replace someone banned for headbutting.
Posted 14:46 10th September 2012
SACanuck says...
Don't like the idea of going backwards with players that are past their prime, but in this case who knows. Problem is he will not be affective as he will suffer big time from jet lag at his age!!!. Besides all that for a brief moment during the game I it looked like Hougaard was getting his face ripped off during a maul. Great camera angle but very brief. Strange that no one complained about it.
Posted 14:41 10th September 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
@Bokke31: ever wondered why refs might be harsh on certain "enforcers" in the green shirt? Boks not the ref need to address if they choose to. If intimidation and physicality is the game plan learn to be squeeky clean clean with it.
Posted 14:38 10th September 2012
Houston_11 says...
@ben7
Are you having a laugh? It's not the point about whether he barely touched him, it's the fact that he tried to do it in the first place. You are right, it's not tiddlywinks but there are rules for a reason and condoning these actions would set a ridiculous precedent.
@melkdave
100% right with your call on Muller - if they didn't have this overseas policy I'd have expected him to be involved sooner. As an Ulster fan though, thank god he was overlooked! :)
Posted 13:45 10th September 2012
bokke31 says...
2 weeks !!!!!!! lol. just ridiculous. Sharpe provoke him 3 times in row and for this little reaction 2 weeks.
Adam A.C deserve 10 weeks ban for 3 high tackle so !!!!!!!!!
every year i think we will be treated like anybody else and every year it's the same song. only boks are ban. ref sees foul only if its a green jersey. for the opponent it's free.
welcome back bakkies.
Posted 13:36 10th September 2012
Dingbat32 says...
Will NZ be pleased to see the name Bakkies Botha on the team sheet?
No they will not!
How many of last weeks Boks team can you say the same about?
As for yellow cards, Bakkies has always been better at getting opponents to lose their tempers way before he loses his.
APV1 - Smit might be fading as a player, but Boks might have beaten Argentina and Oz with his captaincy and experience.
Posted 13:22 10th September 2012
D4tress says...
At least Etzebeth is only a kid - he'll mature and stop making stupid mistakes, but Botha is an idiot; old enough to know better, but still always makes a fool of himself.
He's also a (relatively) terrible lock. Wouldn't be in my Top 10 globally.
Posted 13:18 10th September 2012
hellovanite says...
He is playing well for Toulon. Could be a good move, has a tendancy to do stupid things but is also a colossus at set peice. Could provide a harder edge in the backrow
Posted 13:17 10th September 2012