DURBAN – Sharks centre Marius Louw has been suspended by a SANZAAR Foul Play Committee for three weeks and joins another banned Sharks centre, Jeremy Ward, on the sidelines.
That is two suspensions for Sharks centres in consecutive games, with Ward having picked up a five-week suspension for a reckless and dangerous tackle in the match against the Bulls in Pretoria and now Louw penalised for a reckless and dangerous tackle on a Rebels player at the weekend.
Louw’s off-the-ball indiscretion was costly in that resulted in a try by Makazole Mapimpi being disallowed, which would have been the Sharks’ fourth.
That would have put them in the hunt for a bonus point try at four tries to the Rebel’s two, with eight minutes to go. A fifth Sharks try would have given then a three-try advantage and the bonus point.
The good news for the Sharks is that their two first choice centres, Andre Esterhuizen and Lukanyo Am, remain intact.
@MikeGreenaway67
The Mercury