Du Plessis given just a three-game ban for horror tackle on Munster's Kendellen

United Rugby Championship disciplinary hearing opts to cut Bulls' hooker's initial six-week ban in half despite wild WWE-style clearout  

Clean record: Bulls veteran Bismarck du Plessis had his initial ban halved due to his relatively good disciplinary record. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland

Bulls hooker Bismarck du Plessis will miss just three matches for his dangerous WWE-style clearout of Munster’s Alex Kendellen last week.

There will likely be surprise in many quarters after a United Rugby Championship judicial officer deemed that Du Plessis’s initial six-week ban could be cut in half due to ‘mitigation’.

While Munster No.8 Kendellen avoided serious injury in the incident — in which Du Plessis threw him up over his shoulders and dropped him behind his back, head-first to the ground — the tackle was widely condemned at the time.

Du Plessis’ red card, which didn’t stop the Bulls from seeing off Munster 29-24, was upheld by a URC hearing. However his record of only receiving one previous red card in 374 games was pointed to as worthy mitigation for the ban to be cut to three games, two of which he has already served.

A 3-game suspension for Bismarck du Plessis (2 games already served) for his red card v Munster

The low entry point meant he was looking at 6 games but his guilty plea and clean record (1 red in his 374 previous professional games) saw it cut in half

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— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) March 22, 2022

“The Red Card disciplinary process for Bismarck du Plessis of Vodacom Bulls was heard by a Judicial Officer after he was sent off in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Round 6 game against Munster Rugby on Saturday, March 12,” a Tuesday statement from URC officials said.

“The incident occurred in the 70th minute of the fixture at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria. The Player received a Red Card under Law 9.18 – A player must not lift an opponent off the ground and drop or drive that player so that their head and/or upper body make contact with the ground.

“The Judicial Officer overseeing the disciplinary process, Robert Mulligan (Scotland) determined that the Player’s actions met the threshold of a red card and that the act of foul play warranted a sanction.

“However, considering the Player accepted that the act of foul play warranted a Red Card, previous record (one red card in his 374 previous professional games) and behaviour during the process entitled him to full (50 per cent) mitigation.

“Vodacom Bulls are scheduled to play five matches between March 12 – 26. As a result, the Player has been banned for a period of three games.”