Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth faces a long ban for making eye contact with Wales flank Alex Mann.
The ugly act, as the match was drawing to a close, marred a record Bok win against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
After reviewing the footage in consultation with TMO Eric Gauzins, referee Luc Ramos produced a permanent red card, deeming Etzebeth’s act had been intentional.
RASSIE: Eben’s red card justified
The veteran lock, who was making a record 141st Test appearance for the Boks, will hear his fate this week and is likely to miss a large chunk of the Sharks’ season.
Big ban incoming for Eben Etzebeth for eye gouging.
Cant be doing that. pic.twitter.com/sudD3QzSrm
— Tight Five Rugby (@TightFive_Rugby) November 29, 2025
Under World Rugby’s sanctioning guidelines, the 34-year-old now faces a long ban.
The low-end entry point for “intentional contact with the eye” is 12 weeks, with a top-end sanction of upwards of 24 weeks. The maximum ban a player can receive is 208 weeks, or four years, although that is highly unlikely.
Although the Springboks went unbeaten on tour to cap off another remarkable season and cement their status as the dominant force in world rugby, the lock stocks have had some bitter moments on tour with a total of three red cards.
While Lood de Jager, and certainly Franco Mostert, could feel hard done by, Etzebeth appears a different story.
What will make it even more galling for Bok coach Rassie Erasmus and the rest of the management team is that the scuffle and incident came at a time when the Boks were leading 73-0 with just two minutes remaining.
Etzebeth, who only joined the fray in the 52nd minute along with the rest of the Bomb Squad, had even scored one of the Boks’ 11 tries prior to the incident.
SIYA: Eben didn’t mean to eye-gouge Welshman
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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