Springbok Jaque Fourie has been banned for four weeks for a dangerous tackle in Saturday’s 30-13 defeat to Australia, dealing another blow to South Africa’s calamitous defence of their Tri-Nations title.
The outside centre will miss two domestic Curry Cup matches and their third Tri-Nations test against New Zealand on August 21 after being cited for the spear tackle on Wallabies’ number eight Richard Brown in the second minute of the Brisbane match.
Fourie, who received a four-week ban for a dangerous tackle on All Blacks centre Ma’a Nonu in last year’s campaign, was yellow carded for the offence as the world champions fell to their third defeat in three Tri-Nations matches.
Australia flyhalf Quade Cooper was also cited for a dangerous tackle, but was handed a two-week ban because of “mitigating circumstances” which included Cooper’s “good record”.
South African winger Jean de Villiers was suspended for two weeks for a dangerous tackle during the Springboks’ 31-17 defeat to New Zealand last week in Wellington, while lock Bakkies Botha was banned for nine weeks for headbutting scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan in their 32-12 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland on July 10. – Reuters