South Africa's players and coaches wore white armbands with the word "Justice" during Saturday's third test against the British and Irish Lions as a protest against Bakkies Botha's two-week suspension which ruled him out of the game.
Botha was cited for a challenge on Lions prop Adam Jones which left the Welshman with a dislocated shoulder during the Springboks' 28-25 victory at Pretoria, and received the suspension on Sunday.
The Boks appealed against the ruling and the ban but were turned down on Thursday. Lions forwards coach Warren Gatland said he also thought the ban on Botha had been harsh.
"We didn't have an issue with Bakkies Botha," Gatland said. "It was a very tough decision on him to be banned. Adam Jones didn't have a problem with it."
Piet Heymans, chief executive of the South African Rugby Players' Association, explained the armband protest on SARPA's Web site.
"The Springbok players all feel for Bakkies as he will miss this memorable final test against the British and Irish Lions," Heymans wrote. "Over an extended period of time numerous other players have charged into rucks without binding but were either not penalized at all or received only a penalty. Bakkies hit a ruck just before this one in question in a similar style and was not penalized. Coaches are coaching players to hit rucks in this manner and therefore this is a major cause of apprehension."
Asked about the armband protest at the post-game news conference, team captain John Smit confirmed it was to protest the ban against Botha.
"It was solidarity behind Bakkies," he said. Asked whether he thought the Boks would get into trouble with the IRB for the armband protest, he replied: "We'll have to see."
Although the Springboks lost the game 28-9, they took the series 2-1 after winning 26-21 in Durban and 28-25 in Pretoria.
