South Africa's Eben Etzebeth has accepted a 12-week ban for his involvement in the infamous Springboks vs Wales match, but he's insisting it was never his intention to gouge Alex Mann's eye. The lock forward took to Instagram to apologize and explain what happened during the heated clash.
Etzebeth claimed that the incident was "never intentional" and that mistakes happen. He accepted guilt for his actions, stating that the punishment he received was fair, considering his previous good disciplinary record. However, in an attempt to provide context, Etzebeth pointed out that there were other factors at play during the altercation.
The videos accompanying the post showed two Welsh players getting involved in the scuffle, which allegedly changed "the dynamic of the entire picture." Etzebeth emphasized that he would never intentionally commit such a foul.
Despite this clarification, it's worth noting that an independent disciplinary committee had previously determined that contact with Mann's eye was intentional. The verdict has sparked debate among fans and experts.
Etzebeth will be sidelined until April after serving his reduced 12-week ban. The player acknowledged the gravity of the incident, stating he didn't want young fans to think it's acceptable to commit such a foul.
Etzebeth claimed that the incident was "never intentional" and that mistakes happen. He accepted guilt for his actions, stating that the punishment he received was fair, considering his previous good disciplinary record. However, in an attempt to provide context, Etzebeth pointed out that there were other factors at play during the altercation.
The videos accompanying the post showed two Welsh players getting involved in the scuffle, which allegedly changed "the dynamic of the entire picture." Etzebeth emphasized that he would never intentionally commit such a foul.
Despite this clarification, it's worth noting that an independent disciplinary committee had previously determined that contact with Mann's eye was intentional. The verdict has sparked debate among fans and experts.
Etzebeth will be sidelined until April after serving his reduced 12-week ban. The player acknowledged the gravity of the incident, stating he didn't want young fans to think it's acceptable to commit such a foul.
I mean, Etzebeth's side of the story makes sense, I guess. He does seem like a pretty down-to-earth guy, always talking about how it was just a big mess and mistakes happen. But at the same time, that independent disciplinary committee did say he intentionally gouged Mann's eye, right? 
So, maybe there's some truth to that, too. I mean, we all know those heated moments on the pitch can get pretty intense... 
so I don't know if Etzebeth is being completely honest or not... I mean, a 12 week ban seems pretty standard for that kind of tackle, but at the same time, it's great that he's owning up to his mistake and apologizing 
. The thing is, we do see those other players getting involved, which does change things... maybe Etzebeth wasn't alone in all that chaos 
. The fact that he's taking responsibility for his actions is huge, and I'm sure fans will appreciate him being honest about what happened 
. But yeah, I still have some doubts about the whole story... 
I mean, I get that Etzebeth is saying his intentions weren't to hurt Alex Mann's eye, but at the same time, those vids from his Instagram post showing other Welsh players getting involved in the scuffle do make it seem like things got a bit out of hand. Like, he accepts guilt for what happened, but then tries to spin the whole thing as being more complex than that? 
, it shows he really cares about his actions and the impact they have on others. But honestly, what's even more upsetting is how some fans are still debating whether it was intentional or not 
... shouldn't we be focusing on how to prevent such incidents in the future instead of arguing over who's right or wrong? 
but at the same time, those other Welsh players involved in the scuffle kinda watered it down a bit 
like, u gotta be careful with ur actions on & off the pitch 
especially since the committee still said contact w/ Mann's eye was intentional 
. Still, I think Eben's right to acknowledge his own role and take responsibility for his actions 
but idk, maybe he's just trying to get sympathy from fans or something? either way gotta respect him for owning up to the mistake and acknowledging that what happened wasn't cool