A few days before the clash between the French XV and South Africa, the Springboks summoned a player under threat of sanction for doping.
After South Africa’s victory in London against Japan, there is a small change in the Springbok group. Since left pillar Ox Nché was injured, the world champions called on Asenathi Ntlabakanye, a 26-year-old player, who has 2 caps.
This is far from trivial, because the pillar of the Golden Lions has been involved in a doping procedure for several weeks. The affair was revealed this summer, during the Rugby Championship.
Initially, it was announced that Ntlabakanye had tested positive for a so-called “specified” substance. Substances “which are generally not performance-enhancing products and their presence often results in only a minimal sanction, such as a warning”,
according to the Daily Maverick website.
A case still ongoing in South Africa
A short time later, the player was eventually charged with a doping offense relating to an unspecified substance or performance-enhancing drug. In this case, the product found in his samples is DHEA, which can lead to an increase in the level of androgens in the body, such as testosterone.
At the time of the test, Asenathi Ntlabakanye had indicated to the inspectors that he was taking a medication prescribed to treat a medical condition, a medication in which DHEA was found.
The pillar is free to play until the end of his hearing, which will not take place until the beginning of next year. The South African Anti-Doping Agency (SAIDS) chose not to impose a provisional suspension on him, which is quite rare in this type of case. The Daily Maverick sees this as a sign that the agency believes in
“an honest mistake due to poor medical advice”which could earn him some leniency.
