Stormers wing Seabelo Senatla received a four-match suspension on Thursday following his red card against the Sharks last weekend.
Senatla was shown a red card in the 14th minute of their Rainbow Cup match against the Sharks at Cape Town Stadium for transgressing Law 9.17: “A player must not tackle, charge, pull, push or grasp an opponent whose feet are off the ground.”
In the hearing conducted by judicial officer Advocate Tokkie van Zyl, Senatla admitted that the red card was justified, and the abbreviated process was followed.
The transgression was treated as a mid-range offence and the player is suspended for four weeks, up to and including Friday, 4 June, which equates to four matches.
There was some good news for coach John Dobson Stormers, though, ahead of tomorrow’s north-south derby against the Bulls at Cape Town Stadium at 6.15pm, with No.8 Willie Engelbrecht escaping a ban.
Engelbrecht was red carded in the 47th minute after receiving his second yellow card (the first was in the 14th minute), both incidents for dangerous tackling.
Law 9.13 states: “A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders.”
However, judicial officer Advocate Rob Stelzner found that the second yellow card was unwarranted and has been expunged from Engelbrecht’s record, which means that the red card (consequent upon the second yellow card) is also to be erased from the player’s record.
With the Stormers only naming their squad today, the Bulls announced yesterday that Duane Vermeulen will return in the No.8 jumper. Captain Vermeulen replaces Nizaam Carr, who moves to the bench.