Hooker Bismarck du Plessis, cited by Australian citing commissioner Dick Byres for contact with the eyes or eye area of All Blacks flank Adam Thomson, has been suspended for 3 weeks.
Download the video of the incident:
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Du Plessis’s fist carelessly came into contact with Thomson’s lower cheek and then his left hand knuckle APPEARED to come into contact with Thomson’s face near the eye area but did not come into contact with his eye. There was NO VISIBLE MARK to Thomson’s face as a result of this contact.
Du Plessis’s lawyer argued that the contact, while careless, was not deliberate. The judge agreed but said any action in which a player’s fingers, hand, or a knuckle comes into contact with the eye or eye area of a another player was very serious. Sorry, that should be any action in which a SOUTH AFRICAN player’s fingers, hand, or a knuckle comes into contact with the eye or eye area of a another player was very serious.
He imposed a suspension of three weeks up to and including August 3. Luckily, because of the Boks’ schedule, this means that he will only miss next week’s match against Australia in Perth.
Du Plessis was the replacement for John Smit who this week underwent two operations on the groin injury suffered when he was spear tackled by All Blacks lock Brad Thorn. Thorn received a mere one week ban. Schalk Brits will now start against the Wallabies and a replacement will be flown to Perth.
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