Nigel Owens’ verdict on Eben Etzebeth’s eye-gouge and ban as ex-referee hits out World Rugby’s ‘two biggest issues’

Nigel Owens has weighed in on Eben Etzebeth’s eye gouge and subsequent ban, hitting out at the ‘total mess’ that is World Rugby’s disciplinary process.

Etzebeth was slapped with a 12-match ban after a disciplinary panel deemed that his eye-gouging of Wales’ Alex Mann in the latter stages of South Africa’s 73-0 victory in Cardiff was intentional.

While the Springboks second-rower is renowned as an ‘enforcer’, the red card in Cardiff was the first of his professional career that spans 141 Test matches and 13 years.

World Rugby’s biggest issues

Owens, who officiated 18 Bok Test matches during his illustrious refereeing career, says that Etzebeth did not strike him as a ‘dirty player’, but believes that he was fortunate not to cop a harsher suspension.

The former international referee echoed his previous issues with World Rugby’s disciplinary process and sanction guidelines that allow for mitigation when a player pleads guilty, has a clean record and other factors.

“Yeah, I think the two biggest issues rugby has had is one, inconsistencies in decisions on the field, which we saw with the Autumn Internationals,” he told Off The Ball when asked if Etzebeth’s ban was a fair punishment.

“And then the biggest issue I’ve had is the inconsistencies with the disciplinary process, where you get players getting two weeks, some getting six weeks, some getting 12 weeks, a player getting a ban, and then because he holds his hand up and says, sorry, they knocked three weeks off, and then he goes to a tackle school, which he’s been doing since he was eight years of age, and then they get another week off.

“It’s a total, total mess, particularly if you want to change players’ attitudes on the field and make the game as safe as you possibly can.

“You want the deterrent of if you get sent off, and you deserve six weeks, and you get six weeks. It shouldn’t be landing up with two weeks and all the sort of nonsense that comes with that.”

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Etzebeth was lucky

Owens seemingly feels that the suspensions being handed out are lenient, which leads him to conclude that Etzebeth’s was harsh, even though it pales in comparison to bans for similar offences over the past 20 years.

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“A 12-week ban is a pretty hefty ban considering the bans that are being given out,” the Welshman added.

“There’s been a lot of talk that there was provocation before, or something was done before, something was said before, but if you actually forget all that and just look at the incident itself, it’s a pretty bad one.

“I’ve been refereeing games when there’s been gouging. I remember refereeing a game in Twickenham where [Stephen] Ferris got his hand bitten by Dylan Hartley in the game. So these things have been going on for years.

“When you see a player like that, you know, grab him in family eye, it’s really, really dangerous. And I think if you want to be really serious and send out a clear message, then the ban needs to be strong. I think he’s lucky to get 12 weeks.

“A lot of people are expecting him to get a bit more. And I think he’d only have to sort of hold his hand up and accept, well, look, yeah, what I did was totally unacceptable. Forget what’s happened before. Something provoked that. That’s irrelevant, really.

“You have to deal with the actual incident itself, and it’s a pretty bad one, so yeah, 12 weeks I say would be the minimum that he should be getting, so he’s lucky that he hasn’t got a maybe double that or a bit more.

“I’ve ref’d him many, many times over the years, and I certainly wouldn’t say that he’s a dirty player. When I refereed him, he didn’t come across as being a dirty player, but he has held his hand up, and he’s got to deal with what happened.”

Meanwhile, outgoing Sharks head coach John Plumtree says Etzebeth is ‘devastated’ by the sanction and revealed that the Bok lock would be put to work at the club during his suspension.

READ MORE: Eben Etzebeth ‘devasted’ after eye-gouging ban as Sharks put Springboks lock to work