After yet another on-field indiscretion, Springbok lock Bakkies Botha has been suspended for the rest of the Tri-Nations for his head-butt on Jimmy Cowan. But the fallout from his actions, and his long list of previous suspensions for acts of thuggery has led to many questioning whether he has an international career left.

My own view is that a nine week ban is long enough, only because it covers the rest of the Tri-Nations, which is probably why the number was chosen. I also think that the head-butt contributed to Botha’s yellow card after 13 for a professional foul, neither the referee nor his assistants saw the head-butt but it was replayed a number of times on the big screen and they would have certainly been aware of it.

First my arch-nemesis Chris Rattue from the New Zealand Herald.

Nine weeks sounds like a long rugby ban.

In the case of Bakkies Botha it isn’t long enough.

Botha should have got a year for what he did to Jimmy Cowan at Eden Park, also taking into account his history of thuggery.

Why a year? Well, I’ve plucked that figure out of the air, but it sounds about right, and much more right than nine weeks.

And to a point, he has it right. Botha is, in many respects, a throwback to the days when players meted out justice on the field but with more than 20 cameras pointed at the game, those days are long gone.

The Press rugby writer Richard Knowler labels Botha a ‘nutter’ and chronicles his many suspensions.

This incident was the latest in a raft of nasty incidents that have blighted Botha’s career and it is not only international opponents who have felt his wrath. Crusaders fans might recall he was rubbed out of the Bulls’ Super 14 semifinal in Soweto because he had been suspended for smashing Stormers fullback Gio Aplon in a ruck cleanout.

Last year Botha copped a three-week rest for belting Waratahs skipper Phil Waugh and was later controversially banned for two weeks for a dangerous charge on British and Irish Lions prop Adam Jones. Ironically, Botha was innocent on that occasion, with even Jones stating the suspension was unwarranted. Yet many people felt it was karma catching up with him.

In late 2002, Botha announced his arrival on the international circuit by being yellow-carded for stomping in his test debut against France and the following year he received an eight-week holiday for attacking the face of Wallaby hooker Brendan Cannon.

TVNZ’s John McBeth even said before the game that he hoped Botha would not stoop to his notorious illegal play. Unfortunately he did.

I didn’t mention anything about the forward play or tactics or the like. I simply stated that I hoped Bakkies Botha would play the game cleanly and not sink to his notorious low standards of illegal play.

Sadly, Botha let himself and his team down- yet again.

The reaction in the Republic has been largely the same as here in New Zealand, why did he do it? Independent Online’s Peter Bills also asks if Botha should be selected again for the Springboks given his appalling disciplinary record.

How much longer can South Africa afford Bakkies Botha and his crass indiscipline?

How can Springbok coach Peter de Villiers keep choosing Botha when he clearly cannot rely on him to keep his discipline?

Fans over at the Time Online comments say Botha is an embarrassment to the Springboks and his actions contributed to the loss.

The final word goes to my friends over at Ruggaworld, an excellent South African rugby blog, where one of their regular commenters had this to say:

They should have banned him for 12 months…….Boks need to send him packing until he sort out his kak. Danie (Rossouw) is playing much better than him in anyway.