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Springboks enforcer in trouble over head butt
By GREG FORD - Stuff Last updated 22:20 10/07/2010
Bakkies Botha's Tri-Nations could be over.
The South African enforcer head butted halfback Jimmy Cowan during the All Blacks morale boosting victory over the Springboks at Eden Park.
The act of blatant thuggery was missed by Alan Lewis and his assistant referees.
However, crucially several cameras caught Botha climbing over Cowan's back and then planting the Liverpool Kiss on the back of his head.
The Southlander is made of stern stuff and was unhurt.
And Botha's act was in retaliation after Cowan blatantly impeded the South African while he was in pursuit of some loose ball.
However, the vision of the incident is expected to form a compelling case against him.
He will face a match citing commissioner on Saturday and will have his fate decided at a judicial hearing in Auckland before the Boks travel south to Wellington.
If he's consistent Botha could miss several weeks of rugby.
Karma eventually caught up with the big lock on Saturday night.
Lewis sent him to the sin bin in the first half for a professional foul.
And when he was cooling his heels the All Blacks scored 10 points, a penalty to Dan Carter for Botha's offence and a try to Conrad Smith.
Botha has a shocking disciplinary record. He missed this year's Super 14 play-offs for the champion Bulls after being suspended for a month for a reckless charge, and gained a two-week ban for the same offence against the British Lions last year.
He also sat out three weeks of last year's Super 14 for striking.
In 2003, he was suspended for eight weeks after allegedly spitting at, biting and eye-gouging Australian hooker Brendan Cannon.
The following year Botha also made the headlines for the wrong reasons as it was alleged that he committed a similar offense on All Black lock Chris Jack during a Test in Christchurch.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/i...over-head-butt
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