Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted the Eben Etzebeth eye-gouging incident in Cardiff “didn’t look good”.

The late red card – for making contact with the eyes of Wales flank Alex Mann during a scuffle – cast a shadow over the Boks’ record-breaking 73-0 win over Wales.

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“I don’t know what I can say now that won’t be controversial,” said Erasmus at the post-match press conference.  “It didn’t look good. I think it justified the red card.

“How it happened and why it happened initially was … I don’t know if ‘provoked’ is the right word …

“That’s definitely not the way we would have liked to end the game. It wasn’t good.”

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Etzebeth now faces a lengthy ban that would rule him out of a significant portion of the Sharks’ season.

Inexcusable from Eben Etzebeth. Horrific stuff. Long, long ban incoming. #WALvRSA
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— George Wellbelove (@GLWellbelove) November 29, 2025