Makazole Mapimpi will miss the Sharks’ final Champions Cup pool match after being found guilty of reckless contact with the eye area during the match against Bordeaux.
Mapimpi was on Wednesday cited for an alleged eye gouge on Bordeaux scrumhalf Maxime Lucu during last Saturday’s Champions Cup third round match in Durban, which the Sharks won 32-3 to secure their place in the playoffs.
During the first half of the match, Lucu made a complaint to referee Luke Pearce, who referred it to the TMO, but no clear footage of the gouge could be found.
Following the match, a citing complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, Brian Campsall (England) and Mapimpi was cited for breaching Law 9.12: A player must not physically abuse anyone.
An independent Disciplinary Committee comprising Antony Davies (England), Chair, Leon Lloyd (England) and Donal Courtney (Ireland) heard submissions from Mapimpi, from the player’s legal representative, Attie Heyns, from the Sharks Team Manager, Trevor Barnes, and from the Sharks Head of Team Culture, André Barnard.
Evidence and submissions were also heard from Lucu and from the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, Liam McTiernan. The committee upheld the citing complaint, finding that Mapimpi had made reckless contact with Lucu’s eye area which warranted a red card and it determined that the offending was at the low end of World Rugby’s sanctions and four weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.Due to the player’s clear disciplinary record, it was decided to grant him the full 50% mitigation and the committee therefore reduced the sanction by two weeks before imposing a two-week suspension.
Mapimpi, who was named in the Sharks’ touring squad for this weekend’s match against Harlequins on Saturday, is free to play from Monday, 30 January. Both he and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.Photo: Twitter: @Springboks