Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus defended Aphelele Fassi’s yellow card in their first test of the year against Wales at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, calling it accidental.

Fassi, back in the Bok setup since 2022, received a yellow card in the 29th minute of his fourth test match. While catching a high ball in the air, his foot landed on Same Costelow’s face, resulting in a sin bin.

It was evident that the 26-year-old’s tackle was unintentional as he was coming down after the catch. Fassi had been impressive under the high ball throughout the game, continuing his excellent form from his stellar season with the Sharks, who recently claimed the Challenge Cup title in London by defeating Gloucester in the final.

“While I think it was an accident, it could be considered reckless, and we have to accept that,” Erasmus said.

“If you jump and raise your foot in the air, there’s a chance of making contact with the opponent’s head. Proper technique wouldn’t put you at risk of hitting someone in the neck.

“It’s similar to a situation where you make a hard, low tackle and accidentally hit someone on the chin. It’s unfortunate, but reckless because your foot is up. We’re not moaning about it; we understand it, even though it wasn’t intentional.”

Following their victory over Wales, their first match since winning the Rugby World Cup in France last October, the Boks displayed some rustiness but also gave debuts to several players in preparation for a long season.

Erasmus will announce his squad of 30 to 40 players on Sunday or Monday morning after evaluating all contenders, including Blue Bulls players who lost the Vodacom United Rugby Championship final against Glasgow Warriors at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.