South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has reacted to a reported nine-week ban to his front-row Jan-Hendrik Wessels by saying “we now have to beat them on the field and in the boardrooms”.

The Springboks boss wrote the message on X after it was widely reported that the Bulls hooker had been handed the lengthy ban for grabbing the genitals of Connacht flanker Josh Murphy last Friday in Galway.

Ironically, it was actually Murphy that received a 20-minute red card from referee Mike Adamson for striking his opponent.

Before the incident assessed by television match official Hollie Davidson, the Irishman said to the referee: “He grabbed me here,” pointing to his groin. “Sir, look at it back, he grabbed me here, I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.”

Adamson replied: “I understand what you’ve said, I will check that, but listen, what you did is unacceptable,” before later saying “we have looked at your allegation but there is no evidence of that allegation.”

It just got tougher !! We now have to beat them on the field. and in the boardrooms. Hamba man. Tsek. Loop Kak

— Johan Erasmus (@RassieRugby) October 23, 2025

Due to Hawk-Eye being down due to a global AWS outage, Davidson was not privy to all possible angles to assess, forcing Adamson to come to the conclusion himself.

However, there has apparently been sufficient evidence to slap the versatile front-row, capable of playing hooker and loosehead prop, with a ban that will prevent him from playing any part in the Springboks’ end-of-year tour.

The 24-year-old played a prominent part in South Africa’s triumphant Rugby Championship campaign, and was named in Erasmus’s squad earlier this week that will take on Japan, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales in November.

Having seen standby player Makazole Mapimpi also handed a five-week ban this week for a dangerous tackle, Erasmus took to X on Thursday to write this message: “It just got tougher!! We now have to beat them on the field and in the boardrooms,” followed by “Hamba man. Tsek. Loop Kak,” meaning ““Go, man!” or “Get out of here, man,” in South African slang.

The double World Cup winning coach has had his scrapes with the rugby authorities in the past, and this post, though not directly referring to the Wessels ban, may find him in hot water again.