Jones calls Springbok actions 'disgraceful' as pair are banned

Australia 29 South Africa 9

The South Africa forwards Robbie Kempson and Bakkies Botha were suspended yesterday after being found guilty of foul play in Saturday's Tri-Nations loss to Australia as the Springboks were branded a "disgrace to international rugby".

Kempson was banned for four weeks for a late tackle on the Australian No 8, Toutai Kefu, while Botha received an eight-week ban for "attacking the face" of the Wallabies hooker Brendan Cannon.

The bans, which followed a six-hour hearing in Brisbane, mean the pair will miss South Africa's final Tri-Nations match against New Zealand on Saturday, but will be eligible to resume playing before the World Cup, starting on 10 October.

Kempson and Botha were ordered to appear before the three-member judiciary panel after the Australia coach, Eddie Jones, lodged an official complaint, accusing the South Africans of a deliberate and premeditated campaign of foul play and describing their actions as "disgraceful".

Kefu was taken to hospital to see a neurosurgeon after suffering pins and needles in his arms and fingers after being floored by a punch from Kempson, who had earlier been sent to the sin-bin for tripping the Wallabies captain, George Gregan. He was diagnosed with spinal concussion and is a doubt for Australia's final Tri-Nations match on 16 August against the All Blacks. Although the injury was not as bad as initially feared, Kefu said he was still unsure whether he would play in the game at Auckland.

"I've still got pins and needles in my left arm which is pretty uncomfortable," Kefu said. "I'll see a specialist on Thursday and he'll either clear me or won't clear me for the game."

Kempson flattened Kefu when he struck him from behind after he had passed the ball to Phil Waugh to score a try.

"It's really a disgrace for international rugby, it puts a whole slur on the game," Jones said. "It needs to be rubbed out of the game, you can't have incidents like this in international rugby.

"You look at the games in recent times that have had rubbish in them - Brisbane last year, England at Twickenham and this game - and there's one team that's been involved in them. I think it's a deliberate tactic. If you don't want players like that in your side then you don't pick them. If you want players to go on with rubbish like that, then you continue to pick them and reward them with leadership roles."

The allegations were denied by Jones's South Africa counterpart, Rudolph Straeuli. He said: "I would never ask my players to play like that. There were no instructions to play dirty. We came here to play positively and that's exactly what I thought happened."

Cannon, the Australia hooker, said he was bitten and gouged in the eye by a South African player, later identified as Botha, the replacement lock. Cannon appeared at the tribunal to give evidence against Botha, who admitted touching the Australian's face, but said there was no malicious intent.

The panel ruled that Botha had acted recklessly, but not deliberately, saving him from a possibly longer ban. Kempson received a four-week ban for the less serious offence after the panel had rejected his claim that his high tackle on Kefu was not dangerous.

The South African players and management did not comment after the sitting, but are entitled to an appeal.

South African rugby has been tainted by a series of violent incidents since the Springboks were readmitted to world rugby in 1992. In 1993, the France captain, Jean-François Tordo, required 50 stitches to his face and two hours of plastic surgery after being raked by a boot in an international against South Africa.

A year later, the Springbok prop, Johan le Roux, received the longest ban in rugby history when he was suspended for 19 months after biting the ear of the All Blacks captain, Sean Fitzpatrick.

Australia: Tries Rogers, Waugh; Conversions Flatley 2; Penalties Flatley 5. South Africa: Penalties Koen 3.

AUSTRALIA: C Latham; W Sailor, M Rogers (M Burke, 77), E Flatley, L Tuqiri; S Larkham, G Gregan (capt; C Whitaker, 77) ; B Young, B Cannon (J Paul, 74), P Noriega (G Panoho, 65), D Giffin, D Vickerman (N Sharpe, 64), G Smith (O Finegan, 66), T Kefu (M Giteau, 79); P Waugh.

SOUTH AFRICA: A Pretorius; S Terblanche (B Russell, 66), J Muller, D W Barry, A Willemse; L Koen, C Davidson (J van der Westhuizen, 60); R Kempson, D Coetzee (D Santon, 80), R Bands, S Boome (B Botha, 55), V Matfield, C Krige (capt; L Sephaka, 73), J Smith, J van Niekerk.

Referee: P O'Brien (New Zealand).