Wiese Handed Four-Match Suspension By World Rugby

Springbok No. 8 Jasper Wiese has received a four-match suspension following a World Rugby disciplinary hearing held on Tuesday.

The ban comes after he was issued a red card in last Saturday’s 45-0 victory against Italy at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The suspension is effective immediately, ruling Wiese out of contention for several key upcoming matches. He will miss this Saturday’s game against Georgia in Nelspruit, as well as the first three Rugby Championship Tests: against Australia in Johannesburg (16 August), against Australia in Cape Town (23 August), and the first clash against New Zealand in Auckland (6 September).

Wiese is expected to be available for selection for the remaining three Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches in September and October.

This means he will be free to play in the second Test against the All Blacks in Wellington (13 September) and both matches against Argentina in Durban (27 September) and London ( 4 October).

Wiese’s red card on Saturday stemmed from an incident where he pushed his head towards the face of Italian loosehead Danilo Fischetti, resulting in a cynical dismissal that put the Boks at a disadvantage. The incident also meant he was unable to share the field with his brother, Kobus, who plays for the Blue Bulls and came off the bench.

Despite being a man down due to Wiese’s card, the Springboks’ powerful pack effectively shut down Italy, securing a dominant victory. Coach Rassie Erasmus even surprised spectators with innovative tactics, like players being lifted in open play for a middle maul, which led to two Springbok tries.

Erasmus, who admitted to adopting this tactic from a Paul Roos Under-14 school team, was seen laughing about it post-match. He humorously stated that it doesn’t always work and when it doesn’t, they have to “take it on the chin.” However, he acknowledged that opposing teams would undoubtedly take notice of this new strategy when facing the Boks.