Etzebeth gets two weeks!!!

Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth has received a two-week suspension for his headbutt on Wallabies No 5 Nathan Sharpe.

The transgression was not punished by the referee in last Saturday’s Test, but Etzebeth has been subsequently suspended following a disciplinary hearing on Monday. Etzebeth will miss the Boks’ match against the All Blacks in Dunedin.

Nigel Hampton QC stated that this was not an attempt just to push the opposing player away by using his head without contact being made. ‘The player brought his forehead forward and downward with a degree of speed and force into the nose area of the opposing player making contact with that player,’ he said. ‘This was a deliberate act done as a part of an episode of escalating “tit for tat” pushing and shoving between the two players. As to sanction, intentional striking with the head into the face of another is not to be countenanced under any circumstances.’

Bok coach Heyneke Meyer has confirmed that veteran lock Bakkies Botha, who is currently playing for Toulon in France, will join the squad. Meyer clarified that Botha will not be considered to start against the All Blacks. Flip van der Merwe and Andries Bekker are existing locking options that didn’t start in Perth.

The Boks picked up three injuries in last Saturday’s match. Jannie du Plessis tweaked his hamstring, Pat Cilliers strained a ligament in his elbow and Bryan Habana sustained an ankle injury.

Team doctor Craig Roberts said that Habana should be fit for the Test against the All Blacks in Dunedin, but Du Plessis and Cilliers are in doubt and front-row replacements are likely to be summoned from South Africa. (Well wonder who that will be?)

So Etzebeth gave Sharpe a nasty head but. There are claims he made contact but if his head was brought down with great speed on sharpe's  snout how come there was no mark or evidence of this. Total over reaction again. What harm was done - zip. 
Well interesting to see how Bakkies goes and who the new props will be.  

 Harsh but neccesary, Beeno. The kid needs to learn early in his Pro career, that if he oversteps he will get punnished, we don't want him to get a name for Dirty play. This will cost us in the short term but long term wise, maybe he gets it right. Be aggressive but within the rules. Maybe not such a bad thing after all.

Bean brain, do u think head butting shud be allowed in rugby?

Bakkies is a has been!

Its a good lesson for the young man to learn. He needs to control himself to be sucessful at Test level. Sharpie enjoys revving up players and Etzebeth fell for it...hook, line and sinker.

Two points - firstly was there contact. Heck if there was Sharpe's face would have reflected it surely. w eahd a full view of his faced appealing to the ref like the twit he is.
 

Secondly, if that had been an Oz or Nz player it would not even have been referred.

some head butt!!! What twaddle. Rather concentrate on why two head high tackles were "missed" That definitely had an impact on the game the head butt that never was didnt.

I think this maybe a plan to paint Etzebeth in a certain light. We shall see how it all developes.

 oh no, replace one head butt-er with another! :-))!

Sharpie did a "Chiliboy" on Eben! Did you see that ref? Did you see that linesman? Too funny!

 Beeno, no use complaining now, What's done is done boet, we need to live with it.

Done it is EK and all to the abs advantage as usual.

What happened when Smit was dumped on his back by bad brad - Now that was hugely dangerous. The answer is ZIP etcetcetcetc.

hakwa expand on your comments re chiliboy the linesman etc please.

 Chilboy was doing the same thing against the Crusaders pointing out to the ref that the Crusaders had eyegouged his prestinct looking uninjured eyes!

 Sharpie was pointing in the vicinity of his large uninjured head so we have no idea where Eben was supposed to have injured him - maybe he should have thrown himself up in the air and then roll over on the grass a couple of times like a soccer player!

 Ahhh clearly the Chilliboy thing still sits in the New Zealand Psyche. Seems we will have to rub out the Sharpie issue......:)

How about the video evidence and a proper review. How can one take this seriously when Sharpe looked totall fine! Two weeks ban!

 As i said Beeno. Harsh but maybe a valuable lesson to the Young man.

i like and rate ezebeth as a player, but what boof head and that ban serves him right, if i was sharpie i would of clocked ezebeth.

IMO there was contact with the head butt, and the way it was cited by the judicary was spot on. ezebeth needs to learn, cos the last thing the Boks need is another bakkies to keep giving away penlaties. learn to channel that aggression ezebeth, or find a hoppy to keep u occupied for ur many days off.

and bakkies botha, WTF??? talk about desperate house locks, o_O

franco van der mewe, anton bressler, ryan elsdat, oh wait meyers not intrested in winning, so bakkies is a great a choice.
 

There seems to be alot of violent thugs from WP lately. maybe a result of roid abuse in the WP team?

I reckon Etsebeth was just trying to show Sharpie that he was not intimidated, but it was still a stupid move. He only just brushed Sharpe's nose, and I am pretty sure that is all he intended to do, but if Sharpe was just two centimetres closer he would have connected and broken his nose...then he would have been banned for 6 weeks or something. As Ek has already said, hopefully he'll take a lesson from this and be a better player. It was still a stupid thing to do after all.

There seems to be alot of violent thugs from WP lately. maybe a result of roid abuse in the WP team?

Voertsek! - you make nonsense here you have no proof of.

Not saying its fact (thats why I put a "?") but u must admit it would explain the behaviur of thugs like Etsebeth, Elstad, vermeulen (to name but a few) who also put on lots of weight suspiciosly quickly!

HM is making some big calls the pressure must be taking its toll....i dont know how bakkies can be selected though time will tell how things pan out.

There was a penalty conceded by the Australians and Sharpe was trying to provoke a turnaround of the penalty - by pushing and carrying on with illehal action for at least a minute.   There was no visible evidence that the so-called head butt in fact hit Sharpe in the face at all.   This was a real showcase of bias in respect of a referral.

However, it should teach Etzebeth something.   Do not get provoked by players who want to turn around kickakble penalties by pushing and showing and even hitting out at players.   We have seen retaliation by some players and that always leads to penalties being turned around.  

Somehow - this comic opera situation reminded me of a so-called biting incident of Kirkpatrick years ago by Le Roux.   The latter was red-carded and Kirkpatrick regarded it as the biggest play-acting joke ever.   It never happened and he afterwards told the referee that - but the red-card was already issued and the referee was placed in a bad position as he could not change his decision..

saSUE wee sharpie would not dare to get in a brawl with Etzebeth who would have him for breakfast. He was relying on the refs to protect him.
Anyhow the abs can stop quaking in their boots as Etzebeth is out.

Mike the incident re Fitz is typical nz stuff. They are genetically bent. Beyond hope! Bwahahahahaha very embarassing stuff for the kiwi bird brains.

He barely touched the guy!!!!! If he did Shapie's nose would have been broken!!! Anycase I have no problem for Bakkies to be called up, Eben is miles ahead of any other 4 lock in SA and there is no other option to bring in the enforcer!!! Go Bakkies maak hulle seer........ but legally though

Well said Bokbe!  We are now getting banned for something that might have happened.

However this may prove to be a blessing in disguise. What would happen if Bakkies comes back refreshed and ready for the fray. What a pair he and Etzebeth would make! Bring back Bissie and select Coenie and Wp Nel and the tight five would thrash nz etc.

It all depends on how fit and enthused Bakkies is. We shall see. I hope he gets a decent run on Saturday. This Etzebeth banning has opened a lifeline to Bakkies. It could all backfire badly on the downunder oaks! Lets hope so. It buys us time fo the likes of Du Toit and Elstadt etc. Elstadt could come on stream next year

just make sure Beeno, you go through the rule book with Bakkies prior to the game - especially the part about headbutting halfbacks ;-))

Halavato, Bakkies is the best 4 we have ever had. Etzebeth doesn't come anywhere near the quality of even an older Bakkies!

Card Etzebeth is only 20 years old. Should he even be playing test rugby now. Bakkies was an all time great for sure and perhaps a better athlete. In his younger days he was quite quick.

Etzebeth has been the best South African lock in the tests to date this year.

Haka the rule book is of no import  to nz refs so it wont help! Bwahahahahahahahaha

Bakies is a stone, he doesn't bleed - that is Justin Marshall's blood on his head!

Actually you are incorrect Hakwa, The blood in the above Photo is when chuck Norris tried to Slap him. Clearly Chuck's blood.

@beeno1,

ezebeth is all brawn and no brain, so i see why u like the guy so much, a lindered spirit so to speak, well not the brawn part,:P

i agree that sharpie was goading him, but he fell for it and what was the outcome??? two weeks rest for ezebeth and hes now let the his teammates down as they needed his presence on the field to help fight the uphill battle against the All Blacks.
hopefully its a lesson well learnt, or like i said, he should get a hobby for the time he has off due to suspension.
and ben10, what on earth are u talking about, the All blacks just started quaking in their boots after ezebeth was ruled out and bakkies was ruled in, they were quaking with laughter and taking bets as to who will be the first to run around bakkies 5 times. its a bet thats evenly spread cos anyone can do it, even our paralympians, LMAO, :P

 Bakkies has been brought in as specialist head butting coach.

Although when Etzbeth gets better at Lineouts, if both Enforcers were in the same team that would be great. Apparently the long term plan is that Etzbeth will be able to play in either lock positon.