Springbok enforcer Eben Etzebeth has been slapped with a massive suspension after being found guilty of making intentional contact with the eye area of Wales flanker Alex Mann.
The ruling initially carried an 18-match sanction before being reduced to 12.
Etzebeth faced an independent disciplinary panel via video link after his red card in the Test against Wales on 22 November.
The committee, chaired by Christopher Quinlan KC and featuring former England internationals Leon Lloyd and Becky Essex, reviewed footage and evidence before ruling that the incident met the threshold for intentional foul play under Law 9.12.
MORE: ‘Eben should have just punched him’
The panel settled on a mid-range entry point of 18 weeks/matches, but Etzebeth’s clean prior record and other mitigating factors saw his punishment trimmed by six games.
The 12-match ban runs through a critical period for the Sharks, ruling the world-class lock out of both Investec Champions Cup and Vodacom URC fixtures deep into March 2026.
Matches Etzebeth will miss:
Investec Champions Cup
7 December: Toulouse vs Sharks
13 December: Sharks vs Saracens
10 January: Sale vs Sharks
17 January: Sharks vs Clermont
Vodacom URC
20 December: Sharks vs Bulls
3 January: Lions vs Sharks
24 January: Stormers vs Sharks
31 January: Sharks vs Stormers
21 February: Sharks vs Lions
28 February: Bulls vs Sharks
21 March: Sharks vs Munster
27 March: Sharks vs Cardiff
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
