LIONS centre Scott Gibbs has been suspended for one match by a judicial committee set up by the South African Rugby Union after being cited for punching Northern Transvaal wing Grant Esterhuizen during the Lions match against Northern transvaal at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

In an historic judgment, Gibbs becomes the first Lions player to be suspended and the first to be cited. In 1968 Welsh prop John O'Shea was sent off the field against Eastern Transvaal but escaped with a caution.

The suspension on Gibbs means that he is ruled out of contention for the match against Gauteng Lions (Transvaal) at Ellis Park on Wednesday night.

It became evident after the match last Saturday that Gibbs was going to be cited by the Northern Transvaal manager Piet Olivier. Indeed Olivier made that clear to the press before the Lions manager Fran Cotton was informed, a circumstance that understandably did not please Cotton.

A video of the incident in which Gibbs, who had come on to the Lions team as a replacement in the 60th minute, punched Esterhuizen, who had also come on as a replacement in the match, was examined by the committee.

A threeman citing committee of Olivier, Piet Butler, an official of Northern Transvaal Union and Mac van Vuuren, a former general manager of the Transvaal Union and former player met on Saturday night and decided Gibbs had a case to answer.

Gibbs and manager Fran Cotton were summoned to a meeting of the judicial committee yesterday morning at Loftus Versfeld and the suspension was imposed. Cotton said afterwards that the player would not be appealing the decision nor would Gibbs be making any statement.

The members of the judicial committee were Judge Henry Daniels, Oloff de Meyer, a former player and a leading lawyer, and Van Vuuren.

Gibbs was charged with "having committed an act of foul play, throwing a punch at Grant Esterhuizen". The statement added "Gibbs pleaded not guilty and explained that he was trying to dislodge the ball where it was held by Esterhuizen under his arm. We were also invited to have regard to a tackle some minutes later when a similar tactic was employed when a Northern Transvaal player was tackled." After viewing a video of the incidents the committee was agreed unanimously that Gibbs threw a deliberate punch. "The explanation offered by Gibbs appears to be us to be rather fanciful," the statement added. "He deliberately cocked his right arm before delivering the punch." Cotton and Gibbs were given the opportunity of addressing the committee on the punishment to be imposed.

Gibbs was found guilty of the offence. And outlining the punishment the committee stated "We have taken into account the fact that no injury resulted since the blow was eventually nothing more than a glancing blow.

"As a former rugby league player Gibbs is accustomed to playing the game more aggressively. But he should adapt his game to comply with the rules of the International Board. It should be recorded that had the incident been noticed by the referee it would probably have led to a penalty being awarded and nothing more save possibly a stern reprimand." It was taken into account that Gibbs is a first offender in imposing the one match ban.

Cotton said after the decision that he had nothing to add to the official statement apart from the fact that there will be no appeal." We had a fair hearing and accept the decision," said Cotton.

"There will be no farther action from the Lions management. We just want to get on with the rugby and continue our planning for the match on Wednesday against Gauteng Lions. The matter is now closed and there will be no further comment from myself or the player concerned." While one does not query the suspension imposed on Gibbs nor seek to justify his action, it is absolutely ludicrous that Marius Bosman, the Mpumalanga player who deliberately kicked Doddie Weir last Wednesday and put the player out of the game for a protracted period and maybe ended his playing career, could not be cited because the referee awarded a penalty against him.

There is no match commissioner for the Lions matches and, under the rules of the tour agreement, a player cannot be cited if the referee is deemed to have dealt with an incident on the field. As yet no sanction has been taken against Bosman but the Mpumalanga Union is due to meet tonight on the issue. As I see it, there is an inherent weakness in the disciplinary procedure that the authorities must address as a matter of urgency.