D-Day for Eben: Eben Etzebeth is expected to front a World Rugby disciplinary panel on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old lock – the most-capped Springbok in history – was sent off in the 78th minute of the Springboks’ 73-0 demolition of Wales in Cardiff after French referee Luc Ramos ruled that he made “clear contact” with the eye of flanker Alex Mann.

Etzebeth’s thumb appeared to connect with Mann’s eye area during a scuffle, earning him a permanent red card and triggering a disciplinary process that could see him sidelined for 12 to 24 weeks.

World Rugby offered no update on Monday, but it’s understood that Etzebeth’s representatives will present his case to the governing body’s disciplinary committee on Tuesday, a hearing set to determine the length of his ban.

SA Rugby and MyPlayers will represent Etzebeth at the hearing. While the possible suspension is significant, the Bok enforcer may benefit from one key mitigating factor: this is his first red card in 141 Test matches since his debut in 2012.

Etzebeth was the third Springbok lock to be sent off on tour, following Lood de Jager (vs France) and Franco Mostert (vs Italy). Mostert’s red was later overturned and he returned to the starting XV for the Wales Test.

Although the Springboks went unbeaten on tour to cap off another remarkable season and cement their status as the dominant force in world rugby, the lock stocks have had some bitter moments on tour with a total of three red cards.

While Lood de Jager, and certainly Franco Mostert, could feel hard done by, Etzebeth appears a different story.

What will make it even more galling for Bok coach Rassie Erasmus and the rest of the management team is that the scuffle and incident came at a time when the Boks were leading 73-0 with just two minutes remaining.

Etzebeth, who only joined the fray in the 52nd minute along with the rest of the Bomb Squad, had even scored one of the Boks’ 11 tries prior to the incident.