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Wallabies star Len Ikitau surges past World Cup winners in Top 100 rise
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Nearly everyone is saying the same thing in wake of Eben Etzebeth red
By Ian Cameron
Twenty-four hours after South Africa’s demolition of Wales in Cardiff, Eben Etzebeth’s late red card for a thumb to the eye of Alex Mann has done the rarest thing imaginable in modern rugby: it has united fans of every stripe.
Even the Springboks’ most tribal supporters, usually prepared to die on any hill involving the green and gold, have accepted the obvious. The incident was ugly, avoidable and guaranteed to earn the veteran lock a lengthy suspension. Neutral fans, Welsh fans and – crucially – Bok fans are all singing from the same hymn sheet for once.
The replays spread across social media within minutes, and by Sunday morning the verdict across X was almost unanimously damning. Here’s how rugby reacted:
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South African rugby writer Jared Wright didn’t mince his words: “Completely unnecessary. Brain-less from Eben Etzebeth. A long ban loading.”
Rugby commentator and Bok fan Rugby AP wrote: “Really, really irritated me that by Eben. Deliberate and thuggish act. He’s not actually that kind of player but that doesn’t matter now. Utterly unforgivable anyway and particularly for a player of his experience and stature… He better be apologising non-stop for next however long he’s banned for. And he can include a big ‘sorry’ to Plumtree as well who he has now royally screwed.”
BBC journalist John Beattie observed: “Not sure I agree with the world’s dirtiest players but this brings utter shame on the Springboks jersey. It’s cowardly and disgusting. It’s assault with possible life-changing consequences. It is not reasonable to accept this as a rugby risk.”
Nelson Dale of The Roar wrote: “Eben Etzebeth is one of the greats of the game, but he will be remembered for one moment: aged 34, in the 78th minute of the season’s final test, which the Boks were winning 73-0. I’ve been eye-gouged on a rugby field; it’s scary, unacceptable stuff. This deserves a hefty ban.”
Mick Collins wondered how such an act would look outside sport altogether: “Just wondering how long a sentence Etzebeth would get if he made a huge, concerted effort to gouge out Alex Mann’s left eye on the street, not the pitch. No idea why he shouldn’t be arrested for that.”
Popular rugby pundit Brendan Gallagher questioned why a senior Springbok was even involved in this end-of-year run-out to begin with: “Etzebeth has been a truly great player… but that was utter brainless from him. Why was he even playing in such a ridiculous extra fixture?”
Respected Irish rugby journalist Neil Treacy pointed out that Etzebeth has hardly led a blameless career in regards to the less savoury sides to the game. “Etzebeth has been king of the hands-near-the-eyes-but-just-missing-the-eyes for a long time. Play with fire etc.”
A small number of accounts, admittedly, have tried to mount a defence of sorts.
Screenshots of an earlier ruck appear to show Mann with his forearm near Etzebeth’s face, the implication being that the Sharks lock’s eye gouge was a retaliation.
However, there have also been posts implicating Etzebeth with having his hands in players’ faces in the past, and a screenshot of a Sharks versus Glasgow Warriors game is also doing the rounds.
While his disciplinary fate will be decided in the coming days, the court of public opinion has already delivered its verdict. And in a sport where every fanbase usually digs in behind its own, the shock isn’t that Etzebeth was sent off.
It’s that, for once, everyone seems to agree about what they saw.
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