It looks like Eben was provoked

Here is a post made on You Tube. What happened will eventually come out.

Eben was slapped in the face by Mann in full view of the ref and then yanked by the collar. He didn't intend to eye gouge him, nobody intentionally does that with your thumb. He grabbed his face in rage and got the thumb in the eye by accident. I don't begrudge Eben that any man in that circumstance would loose their cool. Mann should get an equal ban though however I doubt it will even get cited.

Fair comment by this guy. One only hopes Eben's fingers didn't touch the eye. I don't put it past these Bok hating toads on the Disciplinary Committee to do their best to end Eben's fabulous career. This whole thing though will be subject to very close scrutiny so they had better be very careful get it right.

Any severe provocation must be taken into account as well.

Then how about the ref. If this account is true what will he have to say. Lets see what he has to say if he testifies before the Committee.

I like the statement that NOBODY would intentionally gouge the eye. Of course they wouldn't as it carries hefty penalties especially if the eye itself is touched.

a three month ban would be great for Eben and the hapless wee Sharkies who poached him from the Stormers will unfortunately lose out when they really cant afford a player loss like this.

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“One only hopes Eben’s fingers didn’t touch the eye”.

You’re right in one aspect Hasbeeno but only one!

His fingers didn’t touch the eye because his thumb was buried in it up to the first joint you moron!!

How about opening your other eye just for once and admit it was a brutal thuggish act and he deserves everything he gets in way of punishment. As if the Boks needed this after their recent red card record. Only gives the naysayers all the ammunition they need.

Kak story moolaa.

Check what took place and resulted in Eben's reaction.

I have and nothing happened!

So damn stupid.

When people what the word Springboks, Kolisi and Eben's names immediately come to mind.

Eben has been a Bok for more than a decade. He's one of the leaders and captains of the side.

Against a background of the WR treating the Boks like cheats that need more punishment, Eben goes and does this, in full view of the cameras.

For me, it's down to ego. "I is the Eben and no man born from his mother dare front up to me..."

Selfish, stupid and egotistical move. As cliche as it is, I'm not angry, but I'm super disappointed and feel let down.

What's this?

https://youtube.com/shorts/_XfzzTXldhk?si=P_zpp6p4PKg0xYRU

Still does not excuse his actions.

Same clip as Beeno posted. Nothing obvious happening except the usual collapsed maul / ruck wrestle. Mann's hand is on the side of Eben's face but there's zero evidence of anything other than that. Probably some push and shove as everyone got up, maybe some words said that set it all off.

Having looked at another angle of the incident, after the maul the players were standing around for some while dealing out handbags, Eben is actually smiling at this point, it looks like everything is about to de-escalate. Then it appears like someone gives Eben a hard tug and that's what sets him off going after Mann. On the third pic here you can see Eben's head snapping back as someone tugs him forward and that's when it sets off. Camera angle changes right on that moment unfortunately.

So I don't think much happened in the collapsed maul, it was the normal push and shove afterwards, and then at the end of the handbags something was either said or that tug is what did it, but that's when it escalated from handbags to something more aggressive. Looking at this footage I don't think the gouge was deliberate, it was too chaotic with everyone pulling on everyone else, but his hand was all over the guy's face, which on the law of averages in a scuffle like that is more likely to land you in trouble than not.

Another angle I just saw confirms it was Mann who yanked Eben towards him and that set it off. Before that Eben was looking at the ref with a smirk after Mann appeared to shove Eben around his neck/shoulder, then keeping hold of his jersey and doing the yank.

I don't think the gouge was deliberate, it was too chaotic with everyone pulling on everyone else, but his hand was all over the guy's face, which on the law of averages in a scuffle like that is more likely to land you in trouble than not.

That, and someone was trying to intervene and was impeding some of his movements...even more stupid than Jasper's headbutt-light...it was reckless and unnecessary regardless of the intent...it would be absolutely devastating for all Bokke and supporters if this is career ending.

Eben is guilty. No matter what the other guy did, there is no excuse they way he behaved.

What is the saying?

It takes a lifetime to build a reputation only to ruin it in a moment.

This is his moment where he destroyed his reputation and could very well be banned from the game. Not how you want to go into retirement.

Schalke Burger did something similar and even to this day if you here speak about it how stupid and remorseful he feels about it today.

Eben on the other hand, you only as good as your last game. Time to invest in our next best 4 locks

It does not help Eben that he basically bends his thumb directly into the eye, and that is clear on the video.

Whilst you probably can never really prove that Eben intentionally did it, the video will not do him any justice....

I reckon a minimum of a 12 month ban

Isn't it amazing how Mampara Gimp Pakster echoes head Gimp honco Mampara Mozzietard. There is nothing there.

It will be surprising if no provocation is established although with these anti Bok loons on the Disciplinary Commission anything is possible.

Clearly some MGU members don't like our fabled, most capped Bok ever the fantastic Eben.

These fake Bok supporters think Eben' s reputation is ruined. Thst 2 reds over some 150 odd tests is it shows he is a dirty player.

Heck I saw even English pundits saying it was unintentional. Intention is also a mitigating factor as us provocation.

Doubtless the MGU will be very disappointed if Eben doesn't get a banning that effecfuslly ends his distinguished career as one of the very best Locks ever to grace the game.

The real question here is will the Disciplinary Committee dare to try and end Ebens career. I won't mind if he gets 12 weeks.

As for the very frot Mooooo LA LA LA his comments are of course deranged, hysterical drivel. A life long member of the NZ Mong Society. Hahahahahaha.

The nz Mongs are however a cut above our resident Mamparas. Simply because at least they do support their wee abs!

Isn't it amazing how Mampara Gimp Pakster echoes head Gimp honco Mampara Mozzietard. There is nothing there.

Well it would be like, totally amazing if I did not respond before "Gimp honco Mampara Mozzietard" with what I thought on your other thread.

Did you see my post above about the moment that actually led to the incident? Or was it too many proper words and not enough pictures and crayon?

Yes Pakjster you were doing a bit better than usual actually. But you did follow Gimp Master with your there is nothing there comment you must admit.

I follow the visible evidence, Beeno. That clip has zero evidence of Mann doing anything untoward, and Eben's lack of an obvious reaction underscores that. If someone was poking at his eye (it's Eben Etzebeth we're talking about here), he wouldn't just be lying there like he did, he'd start squirming and raging immediately. I'm sure WR has access to higher quality footage and they'll be interviewing the players, so we'll see what emerges then. Maybe there was something, but from that poor quality footage nothing more than speculation can be gained.

You okes forget rugby simple principles, if you retaliate you get penalised no matter what the other guy did. This is to stop an all out brawl happening like we've seen in those old videos back in the day when Mozart and Oom Mike was still playing. With all of the camera's etc, it if foolish to think you can get away with it.

Look at Sasha, he got hit in the head, which did not get picked up, he stayed on the ground. Unfortunately we have to start asking players to behave like soccer prima donnas and just lay their and roll around until the refs does something.

Well done to that young Welsh lad, Eben and Bongi the clown just made some real enemies. Very poor sportsmanship

Ja KC that's why I say, the retaliation thing is not going to be a mitigation. This is just trying to make sense of what happened.

And here is an example of how you milk it, but this is what the game has turned into

You okes forget rugby simple principles, if you retaliate you get penalised no matter what the other guy did

Spot on

And here is an example of how you milk it, but this is what the game has turned into

That might well have winded him but yeah, he was going on like his appendix had burst. Stupid stuff from the headbutter though, probably wasn't in the mood for another half.

"Eben is guilty. No matter what the other guy did, there is no excuse they way he behaved."

Easier said than done KC…I do think there should be a small degree of Mitigation for Eben.

The Welsh player kept provoking him and eventually got the reaction he was looking for.

Still, it was reckless from Eben and he should have handled it better.

I just hope this incident doesn’t negatively affect what’s left of his career.

Mpower, I am just really angry at Eben because he was always very good to control that anger and be intimidating at the same time. To me he was able to cage it up but still be a massive presence. Remember that Ausie hooker that scratch his eyes, classic Eben stare down.

However, the guy was laying the ground with Eben on top of him and other players, but the game stops and Eben just never lets go and the guy can't get free. No need for Eben to do that.

So I am very disappointed because the last thing I want is for the boks to carry the dirty player label which robs us from who we really are. We will play really hard on the field, but off the field we will share a beer with you and show a lot of humility towards those who we play against, but not this nonsense

I don't understand the whole handbags thing. Nobody is doing anything, just clinging and shoving. It's a waste of everybody's time. Yeah I played the game, but you either do something or you let it go. Standing there tugging a bloke's jersey until Christmas knowing you're not actually going to do anything else is just embarrassing. The whole "ek gaan jou moer", "nee ek gaan JOU moer", "nee EK gaan JOU moer" routine while no one actually has the guts to moer anyone.

HasBeen…..Eben is one of my favorite Bok players. The best lock I have ever seen and a guy who should clearly have won the World Player of the Year at least once. So I was sad to see him engage in this scuffle with a bunch of kids who were totally overmatched.

I also don’t think it was a deliberate eye gouge, the hand naturally contracts as the thing it’s pushing against recedes, but that’s almost impossible to prove. All the evidence is against him.

Stop being a blowhard and try a bit of honesty for a change.

"I don't understand the whole handbags thing."

I asked Chat how one could exploit the neuro-chemical effects of "handbags" to your advantage.

It provided quite a cool response;

"That’s a really smart and nuanced question — and yes, “handbags” in rugby (the brief, performative scuffles where players square up but rarely punch) can absolutely affect the physiological and neurochemical state of both teams. Understanding how to use that to your advantage involves reading the hormonal and cognitive effects that follow.

Here’s a breakdown:

Neurochemical and physiological responses

When “handbags” happen:

1. Adrenaline and noradrenaline spike ? heart rate rises, tunnel vision increases, fine motor control drops.
2. Testosterone often increases, especially in players who perceive themselves as “standing up” for teammates — this can increase aggression and confidence.
3. Cortisol (stress hormone) can rise as well, especially in players who feel threatened or unprepared — this can impair focus and coordination.
4. Dopamine and serotonin shifts influence confidence and calmness — a team that interprets the scuffle as dominance can get a transient morale boost.

Tactical implications

Depending on the psychology of the teams, “handbags” can either:

1. Energize one team (boosted testosterone and group cohesion),
2. Destabilize the other (fatigue from adrenaline dump, loss of focus, penalties).

How a team can use this strategically

1. Use it to control emotional tempo.

If the opposition gets drawn into handbags and your team stays calm:

1. Their adrenaline spike will fade after a few minutes, often leaving them fatigued or over-aroused (heart rate too high for skill accuracy).
2. Your team can exploit that by immediately increasing pace and precision — for example, quick taps, fast lineouts, or spreading the ball wide to stress their decision-making.

2. Channel the surge internally, not externally.

If handbags do occur, coaches can train players to:

1. Use the adrenaline rush for explosive but controlled effort in the next few phases.
2. Focus on breathing control and reset cues (“Next job,” “Stay in the moment”) to avoid carrying over-aggression into penalties.

3. Manipulate the timing.

Some teams subtly initiate handbags when they need a momentum change — e.g., after conceding several phases. It can reset rhythm, allow a breather, and emotionally “rally” the team.

Conversely, if the opponent just scored, instigating handbags can drag them into emotional overconfidence or distraction, reducing their composure on restart.

4. Psychological dominance signaling.

If done by forwards, handbags can establish “ownership” of the physical contest. The key is for your team to act confident but not reckless — appear aggressive, not undisciplined. That can shift subconscious dominance cues in the opponent, leading to hesitancy in contact.

In summary

You can think of “handbags” as a neurochemical gamble: whoever manages their arousal better gains control of tempo and focus.

The winning pattern tends to be:

“Evoke emotion in them, stay composed yourself.”

"You okes forget rugby simple principles, if you retaliate you get penalised no matter what the other guy did. "

Unless your name is Josh Murphy, you play for an Irish team and World Rugby is based in DC Ireland.

Cool Plummie.

Yeah KC, I get what you’re saying.

I honestly thought that by now Eben would have better control over his anger and use it in a more positive way on the field.

He shouldn’t have allowed a bunch of youngsters to get into his head.

Now he could be facing a lengthy ban… and for what??

Just to be labelled the aggressor, with everyone pointing fingers and saying:

"I told you so."

"I also don’t think it was a deliberate eye gouge"

Eben's thumb makes a second movement to make sure it gets into the eye socket . . . but here we have the Eben apologists claiming it wasn't intentional.

LMAO!

Moffie backed the wrong horse and hasn't got the character or the integrity to admit it.

Fck Rooi, it was split second stuff slowed down to snail pace...it looks worse than it was...but it will get a lengthy ban...the optics for WR will be too bad if they don't...hope it's not career ending.

Shame poor Rhonda who was endorsing the false charge against Eben in the bar room incident is now back again attacking a player he has always disliked.

He didn't intend to eye gouge him, nobody intentionally does that with your thumb.

It is very funny. Liberalism is all about submission and one classical liberal pattern to gauge submission is to come up with an outrageous claim.

See how as a result of it, liberals drag people to consider what ways to gouge an eye are effective or ineffective, the most and least effective etc This is what brings violence to a society.

I do wonder given how strong a man Eben is and the potential force he could have applied to Mann’s eye given his thumb was right in the eye socket, how Mann would emerge with no serious injury.

Don't do this at home, but even the relatively light pressure an optician applies to the eye feels dangerous. I’ve had a retinal detachment so I’ve gone through this drill several times.

I’m pretty convinced if Eben’s intent was to gouge the eye, given the circumstances, a pretty serious injury would have occurred.

Indeed...some positively applied logic for a welcome change.

No, it is an absence of logics.

The situation is very funny. It has been stating already many times and it is again very topical, liberals are stacking forces that will lead to kill hundreds of millions people.

Forces that are in action in this situation to explain the flood of non sense liberals are vomiting on this very serious topic.

Just quoting a few: the impressive inability by liberals to consider human beings as human beings. Dehumanisation is a key permanent structure in their pattern of thoughts. They always must introduce specific different treatments to rationalise their own failures to follow their own tenets.

The idea that one may rule out the intentional character of this thug attack because the gesture did not meet its supposed goal (crushing the eye ball) is preposterous to a point... Unbelievable.

Intentional is never measured by the achievement of a supposed goal.

Of course, as always, there is nothing foreign in the framework used for the analysis: it all comes from within the liberal framework.

One example: the US bombed Iran on the ground that Iran has the intention of using a nuclear weapon. So it must be prevented. The starting point is Iran enriching Uranium. Enriching uranium does not mean having nuclear weapons, just as having nuclear weapons does not mean using nuclear weapons. Only one country in history used nuclear weapons; the US.

Enriching uranium matches the intention of bombing with nuclear weapons. It is correct. That admitted, it takes leaps and bounds to reach the situation when bombing Iran for their intention of using nuclear weapons.

Nothing to do with the current situation with this thug action when the finger made contact with the eye. It is clear that in a liberal societies, human beings are given very large benefit of the doubt when non human beings are punished at the slightest evidence of their intention.

Another powerful force is escalation or how liberals keep shifting the goal posts. The goal of the rugby law relatively to eye gouging is to be uncompromising. So this action is an aborted eye gouging, it starts as an eye gouging and does not reach the conclusion of crushing the eye ball. And liberals jump on the opportunity to claim the action is not intentional because it has not reached its expected conclusion. It is crazy. A guy is submitted to an eye gouge attempt (which the rugby rules uncompromisingly forbid), the guy is hurt, liberals: no eye gouging because eye gouging means eye crushed. Guy loses eye sight, no eye gouging because eye is not crushed. When the eye is eventually crushed, liberals will come out of the woods and declare yes the eye is gouged but it can not be eye gouging because the guy still has another eye. Escalation.

FO bitterbal

Damn Trad when will you get it….that’s why it’s called the blindside flank Duh?

Very funny. Another force in action: downplaying the consequences of their action.

I think the consequences will only be clear when the latest global warming numbers are released. So much hot air has to be reflected in the numbers.

Of course there was provocation as the videos show

Some Mamparas are going on about how a player can't retaliate and how Eben can't expect to be let off if he retaliated.

Of course we all know Eben retaliated and there will be punishment.

However, the point was if there was provocation it is a mitigating event that will reduce the sentence.

I suggested 12 weeks would be a fair sentence. I do confess I was pleasantly surprised that the biased Disciplinary Committee delivered. I guess they were making an attempt to cover up their bias

Nice to see Mozzie supporting Eben even if he couldn't admit the provocation part.

I remind the oaks that Mann got off scott free. Welsh head hunter Ryan got his sentence halved..

To any Mamparas suggesting Eben is a dirty player the EGG has landed. What an outstanding disciplinary record this great enforcer lock has. And no his legacy will not be effected by this red.

I trust the above will set the Mamparas right on the various issues.