All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot will be available for the Highlanders’ final Super Rugby Pacific game of the season after escaping a citing for an incident at the weekend.

The loosehead, who has become a key part of the national team squad, appeared to headbutt Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah during his side’s 15-12 defeat on Friday.

In the first half of that clash, De Groot cleared out the second-row before then launching his head into the defenceless Hannah while on the ground.

No TMO intervention

It was not picked up by the television match official at the time and he has not been cited for it either, with Super Rugby revealing on Monday that no incidents have been referred to the disciplinary panel.

When the clip was posted online by New Zealand journalist Jamie Wall, fans immediately thought back to Bakkies Botha’s headbutt on Jimmy Cowan 15 years ago.

In the opening minute of a Tri-Nations match, All Blacks scrum-half Cowan tugged back Botha and in response the Springboks enforcer sought retribution.

He was not sanctioned by the officials during the game but it caused a huge outcry and the lock was subsequently handed a hefty nine-week suspension.

“Bakkies almost did time in jail for that same,” one fan commented on X, formerly Twitter, after De Groot’s cheap shot at the weekend.

All Blacks star escapes punishment for ‘grub’ flying headbutt but could face a hefty ban

Six Nations incident

Earlier this year, there was a similar incident involving France’s Peato Mauvaka, who threw his head into Scotland’s Ben White away from the ball during the Six Nations finale.

Mauvaka was only sin-binned at the time but the hooker was cited after the encounter and handed a three-game suspension.

The De Groot ‘headbutt’ has not even reached the disciplinary panel with the citing commissioner deciding that it did not reach the red card threshold.

If the All Blacks prop had been banned then he would have missed the Highlanders’ final Super Rugby clash and a part of their mid-year series with France.

A four-match suspension would have ruled the loosehead out of all three Tests, but Scott Robertson will now have him available for the July internationals.

That is, of course, if Robertson decides to select him. De Groot became a key player under previous boss Ian Foster but he endured a mixed season in 2024 and has not quite found his best for the ‘Landers in 2025.

READ MORE: France star learns disciplinary fate after avoiding red for ‘flying headbutt’ against Scotland

Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/bakkies-botha-almost-did-jail-time-for-that-all-blacks-star-avoids-ban-despite-headbutting-defenceless-opponent