Glad Eben didn’t fold and plead guilty

I did not, at any stage, aim for his eyes or intend to make contact with his eye."

Their lawyer would have told him to deny intent, regardless.

Eben "might" have done this by accident, but he was looking at the player's face before, during and after his thumb went into the eye area.

No one could really be 100% sure that he did this intentionally, so it is best to plead not guilty of doing it on purpose.

A bit different to punching someone or headbutting when it is more clear there was intent.