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Eben’s version of eye-gouging incident: ‘I think I owe everyone an explanation’
Eben Etzebeth received a 12-match ban for intentional eye gouging but insists the contact was accidental after a reaction to provocation, with the ban effective until April.
- Eben Etzebeth accepted a 12-match ban after an independent panel found he made intentional contact with the eye of Wales flanker Alex Mann during the 29 November Test in Cardiff.
- The disciplinary committee chaired by Christopher Quinlan KC said the offence breached law 9.12 and applied World Rugby's sanctioning framework with a mid-range entry point eighteen weeks.
- In his social media post published on Wednesday, Eben Etzebeth shared three video clips and wrote, `You can clearly see my first point of contact is against his shoulder with an open hand, just like he did, except he got me on the chin`, saying the act was accidental.
- The suspension sidelines the veteran lock Eben Etzebeth until April, and he said it was his first red card since he started playing, apologising for letting supporters and the game down.
- The disciplinary panel said footage showed Etzebeth's thumb in Mann's eye for one second and concluded it was intentional, while Etzebeth's social-media clips do not clearly show this and won't reduce his sentence though they may win public sympathy.
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13 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 43%
C 57%
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