Springbok Forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels Handed Nine-Game Ban for Inappropriate Contact

Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine matches for making contact with Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' URC win over the Irish province.

This event happened in the early stages of the narrow victory in Galway on last Friday, with Connacht forward Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after responding aggressively by striking the South African on the head area.

After the Connacht player reported the incident to the match official, the situation was reviewed by the television match official, who found no definitive proof.

Wessels stayed on the field until he was substituted in the later stages of the match.

While the URC announced that Murphy's temporary sending-off was withdrawn by a governing body, Wessels was deemed to have violated the code of conduct, which specifies:

"Any athlete should not engage in actions that is contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship. Such behavior covers touching, pulling or compressing the private areas."

Disciplinary officials concluded that the event met the level for dismissal and justified a three-month ban, the minimum ban under international rugby regulations for such an violation.

However, Wessels' ban was shortened by three weeks because of his good conduct during the hearing and his good record.

The forward and the Bulls are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will rule the 24-year-old out of the South African national team's autumn Tests against Japan, Les Bleus, Italy and Ireland.

He will additionally be absent for the Bulls' league matches against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Northampton.

Wessels has won ten international appearances for South Africa and was part of their Rugby Championship-winning squad over the summer.

The Connacht player, meanwhile, is eligible to face the Irish rivals in Saturday's domestic clash after being cleared.