Springboks lose Botha ban appeal
July 2, 2009
Botha will still be available for South Africa's Tri-Nations campaign
South Africa lock Bakkies Botha has lost his appeal against the two-week ban he received for a dangerous charge.
Botha was suspended for a challenge on Adam Jones which left the British and Irish Lions prop with a dislocated shoulder in the 28-25 second Test win.
The 29-year-old will now miss the third and final Test match with the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Team-mate Schalk Burger will also miss the game after being banned for eight weeks for eye-gouging Luke Fitzgerald.
But the Springboks had already confirmed they would not be appealing against Burger’s suspension.
Unlike Burger, Botha will be available for the world champions’ Tri-Nations campaign, which begins against New Zealand in Bloemfontein on 25 July.
The Botha incident happened just after half-time of the ferocious second Test in Pretoria, which South Africa won to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
South Africa claimed the second row was legally clearing out the ruck with assistant coach Dick Muir insisting: “If it wasn’t for the injury which came from it, I don’t think anything would have been said about it.”
Jones, along with injured Lions team-mate Brian O’Driscoll, flew home from the tour on Wednesday.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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