ETZEBETH FACES SUSPENSION AFTER 'GOUGING' INCIDENT

A RECORD-BREAKING 73-0 win should have been the perfect finale to the Springboks’ November tour, yet the mood soured in Cardiff when Eben Etzebeth was shown a red card – a moment coach Rassie Erasmus admitted “didn’t look good” for the world champions.

While the Boks finished their away tour unbeaten after giving Wales their heaviest defeat on home soil, the red card shown to Etzebeth following a rol marred the occasion.

The towering lock, with over 140 caps, put his hands in an opponent’s eye area and now looks set to receive a heavy suspension – some reports suggest it could be six weeks.

It was the second consecutive season that the Boks remained unbeaten in Europe, while they also finished the season with 13 victories from 15 matches for an 86.7 percent win record.

However, after scoring 11 tries against the Welsh, that red card – a third on the tour following ones against France and Italy – poured cold water on an otherwise kwaai game.

Erasmus wysed of the card: “I don’t know what I can say now that won’t be controversial.

“It didn’t look good, and I thought it was a justified red card. I’m not sure if it was provoked, but that’s definitely not the way we want to end the game.”

Despite the incident, the clinical performance by the Boks showed that they are in a class of their own. The win followed jitz matches against Ireland, Italy, France and Japan.

Erasmus was pleased with the controlled performance they delivered against a Welsh span that kept fighting.

He added: “We are really proud of the way we played. We never underestimate Wales, no matter where they are on the world rankings.”