Bismarck given all-clear for Final
Hooker Bismarck du Plessis is free to play for the Sharks in the Currie Cup Final against Western Province at Newlands after being found not guilty of stamping.
Du Plessis appeared before a South African Rugby Union judicial committee in Cape Town on Monday, after he was cited for allegedly stamping on Free State Cheetahs flank Pieter Labuschagne in their semifinal at Kings Park in Durban at the weekend.
The Bok No.2 received a yellow card in the 65th minute of the match, won 33-22 by the Sharks.
Advocate André Oosthuizen on Monday reserved his judgment on the matter, and cleared Du Plessis of the charge on Tuesday.
In his judgement, Oosthuizen ruled that based on the facts placed before him by the player and the assistant referee Cobus Wessels, as well as the video footage viewed during the enquiry, the contact Du Plessis made with Labuschagne was accidental.
Meanwhile, the Sharks are still sweating on the availability of tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis after he damaged his hand in training last week.
The Sharks did not confirm if the cast on his left hand was indeed for a fractured bone as some media reports suggested.
Loose forward Jean Deysel, who came off 20 minutes into the semifinal with a hamstring injury, will also undergo an assessment on Tuesday to determine his availability.
* Watch the incident here!
