Free to face France: Cian Healy
Ireland prop Cian Healy is available for next week's Six Nations clash with France after his ban was reduced to one game on appeal.
Healy was initially banned for three weeks for stamping on England's Dan Cole, with his suspension only starting the weekend after the incident occurred rather than the day of the citing, thus ruling him out of last Sunday's game against Scotland and the French fixture in Dublin on March 9.
However, on Wednesday the 25-year-old prop successfully appealed against the decision and the ban will now run from the date of the offence (February 12).
"The player had argued, among other things, that by extending the three week suspension over four weekends (to take account of the first "break weekend" in the RBS 6 Nations Championship) was not permissible under the relevant regulations," read an appeal committee statement.
"The Appeal Committee therefore concluded that Cian Healy's suspension should end at midnight on Sunday 3 March 2013, and not a midnight on Sunday 10 March 2013."
Comments
Coshie78 says...
This is ridiculous, one of the most cinical pieces of foul play I have seen in Intl rugby...
Anyone harping on about wrong side, pulling maul down needs to get out of the dark ages. These are professionals and are the laws have been updated accordingly...
You are either out of touch or play a very low level standard of the game...
My local club are level 6 in England, even at this amateur level his actions would have been a red card and he would probably have received a lengthier ban...
Eddie C...
Watch the game again, he received medical treatment throughout the game and his performance was clearly suffering for it. Not only scrummaging but mobility around the park also not up to their usual high standards. Backed up by comparative stats...
Posted 10:37 28th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Eddie: its irrelevant but Cole was hobbling around after and was given attention at a break in play. Just pointing out you are wrong in your detail as an addition to how others have shown you to be completely wrong overall.
Posted 10:37 28th February 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
@EddieC - I seem to recall that there was some medical attention to Cole's ankle in the minutes after the incident.
Whatever you think of the ban, its ridiculous for the panel not to be aware of the rules (this is a technicality after all) but I seem to remember an England citing dropped on a tour a couple of seasons ago because the official/s were not considered sufficiently impartial.
Interesting to see what happens to Parrisse's appeal given that his verdict was apprently based on virtually zero evidence.
Posted 10:36 28th February 2013
lawynd says...
@EddieC - if you didn't see Cole receiving medical treatment and limping immediately afterwards, then you're blind as well as an utter moron. Oh, and hypocritical xenophobe, forgot that one.
Posted 10:36 28th February 2013
GreenDip says...
What are the chances of Dan Cole and Cian Healy striking up a lifelong friendship as a result of touring with the Lions?
Posted 10:15 28th February 2013
TVaddict says...
@EddieC, 3in4
You are totally right and reasonable. Next time someone infringes at the ruck they should be stabbed in the face. That is justice. That way they'd be no Irish players left in the world you demented pieces of sh!t.
Posted 09:44 28th February 2013
GCP_jones says...
keste03... your a week late you Stocking of Sh*&te
Posted 09:41 28th February 2013
heathy says...
EddieC & 3in4 - You are complete tools. I'm pretty certain you have never played the game of rugby and you are the very type that if slapped in a bar you would be dashing home crying to mummy. We all agree that a player should be rucked. Nobody is disputing this. Cole was on the wrong side. Nobody is disputing this. To have a stamp like that? EVERYBODY is condemning it that knows anything about rugby. You clearly don't and so just want to troll.
For the record, I think Healy is a good player and would be my nailed on no.1 for the Lions loosehead prop position (bar a shocking loss of form). The incident was out of character and we all agree on that. However, it does not make it right and therefore it should be punished. If it was an England player you would be shouting from the rooftops for him to be hanged. The system here is what is to blame for this farce (and a farce it is). You are both the reason why we have these issues as you are too dumb to understand what is wrong and right in the laws of the game. If you don't know, just don't post. You make yourselves look like Neanderthals that have just come out from your cave. Idiots.
Posted 09:39 28th February 2013
bullitt says...
Utterly pathetic worming from the Irish and spineless pandering from the panel.
I hope France rip them a new one and Healys head pops out of his own backside in the first scrum.
Posted 09:25 28th February 2013
lawynd says...
What a farcical process; the judiciary panel should all be dismissed for not even knowing their own laws.
And for all those Irish posters suggesting it's the right decision, remember that the next time one of your players is on the end of some nasty stuff...oh wait, I remember, you wanted to execute Dylan Hartley for something nowhere near as serious as this, and that's not even taking into account Healy's other indiscretion a few minutes later that wasn't even cited.
Hypocrites, the lot of you.
Posted 09:22 28th February 2013
Chinstan says...
Disgraceful! Lost for words.
Posted 08:57 28th February 2013
EddieC says...
Get over yourselves! Cole was on the wrong side and blocking the ball from coming out. Go back to last years game and see how Healy was treated, and maybe then you will understand why he was wired up for this particular game! I get it, England are a bunch of choir boys and how dare anyone try and bully them...? I dont remember seeing Cole hobbling around after the incident or recieving and medical treatment...christ you would think he actually jumped on the guys head the way you guys are reacting.
Posted 08:42 28th February 2013
Jediboy says...
This is a complete farce. And an embarrassment for the great game of rugby. It's been a disaster from start to finish. The system clearly doesnt work and needs to be changed. Preferably to a system that does work.
Posted 08:36 28th February 2013
JamieTheProp says...
Try and break an ankle and get away with it!
And anyone on here saying that because Dan Cole was on the wrong side a stamp like that is acceptable is talking complete, utter nonsense! Even in the days when rucking was still allowed (which in my opinion it still should be) this type of stamp was not allowed!
There is a big difference between rucking a player out of way (with a backwards motion to the body) and stamping.
Absolutely shocking - hopefully now though it will shut the Irish supporters up when an English player is seen to be let off lightly - it seems it happens to all nations.
Posted 08:26 28th February 2013
nhb99 says...
the luck of the Irish....
Posted 08:16 28th February 2013
tha_mai says...
where is that man Gosper from the IRB in all this; last year he promised a review of judicial processes, had Thompson's ban increased by one to 2 weeks. And that was it, never heard of again. Can't blame the player for taking advantage of the appeals process when there is this apparent incompetence and inconsistency from the judiciary.
Posted 06:15 28th February 2013
TVaddict says...
What.A.Joke.
If it's three weeks for a deliberate, possible career ending stamping then the current system is focked up. He shouldn't of played another game this 6 nations and now he's only missing one. Only one game! Way to go appeal committee, helping me to lose that little bit more faith in the game. Let's see everyone stamping on each others ankles, actually let's just stamp on the back of peoples necks right on the spine, heck let's just start bringing weapons so that if someone infringes we can just stab them in the face. That can only be a two match ban surely, three at most? Bunch of b0ll0cks.
Posted 01:55 28th February 2013
munster30 says...
proper order! yes he was guilty but you cant decide when to start a ban like they did here. it starts the day of the hearing or the day of the incident. if they wanted to make sure he missed two games why not start banning players for a number of test matches besides this farce of "2 week ban with one week taken away for good behavior" Banning for test matches would prevent the joke of Hore including two preseason friendlies as part of his ban for assaulting Bradley Jones
Posted 00:23 28th February 2013
Heathy says...
And so the farce continues. Even the committee who should know the bloody rules can't get it right and this nasty offence goes relatively unpunished. They are a complete joke. Something needs to be done here before this gets more out of hand.
Posted 23:27 27th February 2013
gingergenius says...
what an absolute joke the whole system is. The corruption of the disciplinary system is the greatest shame of rugby today.
Posted 23:14 27th February 2013