Eben Etzebeth reveals what happened during eye gouge incident
Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth has finally broken his silence and told his side of the story of what happened during the eye gouge incident.
South Africa recently beat Wales' national men's rugby team 73-0 in Cardiff, marking a historic moment as Wales suffered their biggest home loss ever and failed to score in Cardiff for the first time since 1967.
But the victory was soon overshadowed by a controversial moment involving lock Eben Etzebeth, who received a straight red card for making contact with the eye area of Wales flanker Alex Mann.
The incident played out late in the match when, during a scuffle, Etzebeth reached forward and made contact with Mann's face.
The TMO, Eric Gauzins, reviewed the footage before referee Luc Ramos issued an immediate red card.
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The Springbok icon was later handed a 12-match suspension, reduced from the mid-range 18-game entry point due to mitigating factors such as his previous disciplinary record.
The sanction rules Etzebeth out of action for the Sharks in both the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup until March 2026.
South Africa is not scheduled to play again until July next year.
Now, for the first time since the incident, Etzebeth has publicly addressed what happened.
Eben Etzebeth breaks his silence
Etzebeth took to Instagram to share a detailed account of the incident.
"I've been quiet, but now that my hearing is done I think I owe everyone an explanation," he wrote.
"I accept guilt. I made a mistake and I'm willing to serve a suspension which I deserve."
He emphasised that he did not want young supporters to believe his actions were acceptable.
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"I don't want young kids who look up to the Springboks to think that it's OK to eye gouge someone, because it's not. I made a big one for which I'm sorry."
Etzebeth added that his post was not an attempt to clear his name, but rather to provide context for the incident.
What really happened
Etzebeth posted video footage of the incident on his Instagram page and described in detail his side of the story.
Slide 1
According to Etzebeth, the scuffle was already "basically over" when Wales flanker Alex Mann "struck me with an open hand to my chin or neck area."
He says he looked toward the assistant referee, waiting for a reaction, when he felt another pull on his jersey.
Only then, he explains, did he respond with "a similar type of action" towards the opposing team member.
Slide 2
In the second slide, Etzebeth states that the slow motion footage distorted the real-time dynamics.
"You can clearly see my first point of contact is against his shoulder with an open hand, just like he did, except he got me on the chin," he wrote.
He added that the situation changed rapidly as two Welsh players intervened and one Springbok teammate pulled Mann by the neck.
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According to Etzebeth, these actions changed the direction and force of his hand.
Slide 3
The third slide was just an additional angle, which he included for more context.
Etzebeth maintains that his actions were never deliberate.
Why he posted
Etzebeth ended his caption by explaining why he decided to share the post.
"It was a mistake caused by my reaction and other factors that played a role," he wrote.
His goal was "to try and show people how everything happened and that it was never intentional."
"I'm sorry for letting you and the game down. That was my first red card since I started playing. I want it to be my last."
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Images: AFP