OPINION: Boks and Lions hold their breath as Ntlabakanye doping hearing takes place

The Springboks and Lions will face an anxious wait this week to find out if they will be without one of the most exciting up and coming props in South African rugby, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, for an extended time.

Ntlabakanye is finally set to face the music this week with his doping hearing set to take place, after it was delayed back in December for further investigation.

In August last year Saru announced that Ntlabakanye returned an “adverse analytical finding” during random testing by the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport.

The 26-year-old was subsequently charged with two anti-doping rule violations, and his widely reported defence has been that he unknowingly took the banned substances, one that was picked up, and one that he himself declared, and that a doctor prescribed them for a medical condition.

It will be a crying shame if Ntlabakanye has the book thrown at him and receives a four year ban, as is the norm for these kinds of cases, because it would likely ruin his career, as it is almost impossible for a player to return to a similar level after that amount of time out.

Not cut and dry

But it is not as cut and dried as other doping cases involving players such as Chiliboy Ralepelle, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Sbu Nkosi and Elton Jantjies.

Ntlabakanye’s case, on the surface, seems to be more a failing by medical professionals.

Whatever the case, the fact the hearing was delayed – due to the complexity of it – could well work in his favour.

Possibly, in a best-case scenario, he might receive a suspended sentence and warning, which would be a fantastic outcome for him.

Hopefully the worst-case scenario would be a two year ban due to mitigating circumstances, and from that he could maybe stay around the rugby systems, even if in a coaching capacity, with an eye on a return as soon as possible.

Whatever happens, a decision is set to be made, whether it will be announced this week or in the coming weeks is unknown, and until then we will be waiting with bated breath.