‘It was pretty mad’ – Alex Mann breaks his silence on Eben Etzebeth eye-gouging incident
Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth eye gouging Alex Mann and an inset of the Wales flanker.
Alex Mann has broken his silence about the eye-gouging incident that occurred during the Autumn Nations Series match between Wales and South Africa last November.
The Springboks lock stuck his thumb into the Welsh flanker’s eye in the dying minutes of the clash at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff when the visitors were leading 73-0.
Etzebeth was subsequently red-carded and slapped with a 12-week ban until April this year, and issued an apology to South African fans on social media.
Mann breaks his silence
Mann has remained tight-lipped on the incident since then and has now reflected on the events that put him at the centre of the biggest story in world rugby at the time.
“It was pretty mad,” he told NationCymru’s Simon Thomas.
“I think I was getting sent clips of it every 30 seconds, to be honest with you.
“I didn’t really think about it. It is what it is. I didn’t really think twice, I just got on with my stuff and focused on what I have been doing.”
Many fans took to social media after the game with blurred images and clips, alleging that Mann had instigated the incident by eye gouging Etzebeth.
That claim was discredited during the 141-cap Springboks second row’s disciplinary hearing, but it was something that still annoyed the Welsh loose forward.
“Obviously, it was frustrating because it wasn’t the truth,” Mann said.
“I knew the truth and it was clear to see. There’s not much more I can say on that.
“Look, it’s in the past for me now. It was a bit of handbags and everyone could see what happened.
“I am just looking forward to this weekend.”
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Aggression is part of the game
The 24-year-old admits that aggression and physical confrontation are part and parcel of the game. Still, he believes there is a right and wrong way to go about it.
“At the end of the day, it’s 15 men going out to hurt each other, in my eyes – in the right way obviously, not in a malicious way,” he says.
“It’s contact sport, you understand what it is. You can take it over the edge sometimes, it’s natural. Everyone is human, but it’s just about learning from those experiences.
“It’s challenging in the right ways. It might come out wrong sometimes, but that’s all a learning curve.”
Mann is set to be in action on Saturday in the Challenge Cup with Cardiff hosting French giants Racing 92 at Arms Park, with the 11-cap international looking to further his case for inclusion in Steve Tandy’s Wales squad for the upcoming Six Nations.
