Reduced Wessels ban rules him out of Springbok tour
South Africa front rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels on Wednesday was ruled out of a five-match tour of Europe after his appeal against a nine-match ban led to it being reduced by only one game.
The Bulls hooker/loosehead prop was suspended after a United Rugby Championship (URC) disciplinary hearing found him guilty of grabbing the groin of Connacht flanker Josh Murphy in Galway this month.
Murphy was sent off for retaliating after the maul incident, while Wessels was not punished, as there was no video evidence to substantiate Murphy's claim that he had been assaulted.
Wessels had been included in a 36-man Springbok squad for Tests against Japan in London, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales on consecutive Saturdays from November 1.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus said Wessels would not be replaced, leaving Johan Grobbelaar to understudy first-choice hooker Malcolm Marx. Flanker Marco van Staden can also operate in the front row.
Apart from the Springboks tour, Wessels will miss the Bulls' Champions Cup matches against Bordeaux Begles and Northampton Saints during December.
The 24-year-old utility forward was also unavailable when the Pretoria club lost a URC match at Glasgow Warriors last weekend.
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