Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has responded after Jan-Hendrik Wessels was reportedly hit with a lengthy ban on Wednesday.
South Africa’s versatile front-rower, who can play prop or hooker, was accused of groping Connacht’s Josh Murphy during their United Rugby Championship clash on Friday.
No citing was made public, but it appears as though the authorities have taken action by suspending Wessels for nine weeks, which would rule him out of the end-of-year series.
As a result, Erasmus has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to seemingly air his displeasure at the situation.
Erasmus hits out
Although the Boks boss made no specific reference to the ban, he has claimed that South Africa now have to beat their opponents “in the boardrooms”, as well as on the pitch.
“It just got tougher!! We now have to beat them on the field, and in the boardrooms. Hamba man. Tsek. Loop Kak,” he wrote.
The timing of the comment is probably not coincidental after the news came out about Wessels and also Makazole Mapimpi on Wednesday.
Mapimpi was handed a five-week suspension – this one confirmed by the URC – following a red card against Ulster at the weekend.
The wing was named on the Springboks’ standby list when their squad was announced on Monday, but he will now be absent in any case after being ruled out of four of the five Tests.
Springboks star slapped with MAMMOTH ban after groping accusation despite lack of footage – report
However, it is ultimately the situation with the Bulls front-rower which will most likely be angering Erasmus, given that there was a lack of footage of the incident.
Lack of evidence at the time
Further camera angles may have come to light since but, at the time, referee Mike Adamson and TMO Hollie Davidson were unable to determine whether there was anything untoward from Wessels.
Murphy was given a 20-minute red card by Adamson after the back-rower struck the visiting player on the head.
Connacht claimed it was in retaliation to the actions of the Bulls man, who was accused of groping his opponent, but no evidence was initially found to conclusively support that view.
“He grabbed me here,” Murphy said, pointing to his nether region. “Sir, look at it back, he grabbed me here, I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.”
Adamson then replied: “I understand what you’ve said, I will check that, but listen, what you did is unacceptable…”
It has been reported that Wessels will appeal the suspension but, if that is dismissed, he will miss the entirety of the Boks’ Autumn Nations Series.