Ireland angry as Heaslip cleared
South Africa's claim of eye-gouging against Ireland number eight Jamie Heaslip on flanker Heinrich Brussow has been thrown out by citing commissioner Douglas Hunter.
The Springboks have asked Hunter to look at the incident which took place during the first half of the 15-10 loss to Ireland at Croke Park.
Hunter could not find any video evidence of the incident and decided to throw out the report along with a number of reports allegedly made by the world champions.
This didn't stop the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) from having a parting shot at the Springboks for publicly questioning Heaslip.
The IRFU statement read: "The Six Nations has confirmed to the Irish Rugby Football Union that none of a number of referrals made by South Africa against Ireland players has been upheld by the independent citing commissioner that was present at the game between Ireland and South Africa in Croke Park on Saturday 28 November.
"The Ireland management is however very disappointed that the name of an Ireland player was subsequently associated with eye gouging in the media as a result of one of these unsubstantiated referrals.
"The Ireland management fully support and believe in the integrity of the citing process in place but believe that any referrals in this process should be made only when they are material and substantial.
"The Ireland management will be making no further comment and consider the matter closed."
Comments
thefott says...
me thinks the boks protest too much!!
Posted 09:04 05th December 2009
Byron says...
The Boks have not asked for a single foul play incident to be brought before a citing commissioner all year and new they're getting ridicled!!! WOW
Hey where there's smoke there's fire ... Suc it up
Posted 15:36 02nd December 2009
bokpiel says...
let us not forget why did Alan Quinlan not play in the lions tests? and why did shane Jennings not play for Ireland against the boks?
Posted 14:22 02nd December 2009
pogmahon says...
Shower of moaning cheaters. The Boks lost because they were beaten up badly so they cry wolf. Nothing new there then.
Posted 13:32 02nd December 2009
Damohack says...
What was more remarkable than the whinging was the number of high tackles expertly executed by the Boks that were either ignored completely or not seen by the referee or the touch judges. Is that something they practice in training camps?
Posted 13:28 02nd December 2009
bliksem says...
i seriously never knew that the irish were such whiners...even worse that the english these days.
surprised there hasn't been a belated request for a replay of the 2nd lions test. face it boys, the lions lost and you barely beat the Boks - a team at the end of a very long season.
i suggest you don't get too carried away with your first 6 nations trophy for 23 years.
Posted 13:27 02nd December 2009
BrettW says...
irishzimbabwean????? now their some class for you...
Posted 10:45 02nd December 2009
Trinats says...
FOUND: one dummy
Has the springbok logo on it. to see if it's yours visit www.stopwhinging.com
Burger was on the field at the time, maybe it was him !!!!
Brussow doesn't seem to have any injuries or marks from it, surprise suprise? maybe he should have put some makeup on the next day, people might have been fooled then. (just as the one's who looked up the site I listed above !!)
Posted 10:21 02nd December 2009
Buffs says...
Fact: Brossouw indicated to his eye immediatley after the incident.No player, South African or Irish, would make up such an incident in the heat of a Test match.
That the act wasnt caught on camera does not mean it didnt happen.
The Irish are whinging as much as they accuse the boks of!!
No video evidence - No case
Lets move on
Posted 06:54 02nd December 2009
Byron says...
There was sufficient evidence on the field to suggest it had happened. There was not enough "Video Evidence" to charge.
Brussow left a ruck pointing to his eye during the game. Smit had a chat to the Referee straight away.
At least a hearing with verbal evidence being given would have sufficed. At least then it was officialised and not brushed over. It is an incredibly serious offence and warrents at least an official investigation. Hey if habanna was dragged before a hearing because of his kick! Wait now I'm just being biased
Posted 06:03 02nd December 2009
irishzimbabwean says...
It is nice to know that we will not have to listen to Springbok whinging for the next six months - they bring neither class nor humility to the rugby scene (management and supporters). Thanks to The General for actually bringing facts to the table.
Posted 05:43 02nd December 2009
Stellenbosched says...
Those of you who knock the Boks consistently do so without any knowledge of how it feels to always have the IRB's rifles aimed at your side. Over the last year there have been countless posts by people calling the Boks whingers or paranoid when it comes to the citing process. What these people don't do is prove why we should not feel that we are always in the firing line. Every time a Bok player has been suspected of foul play the book has been thrown at him. Every time an opponent has been accused he gets of with the lightest sentence possible. Just because this European/NZ citing commissioner has not found reason to cite Heaslip does not prove that he was not guilty. I say it again, if it were a Bok player I would put money on it that he would have been suspended. The aggressive statements coming from the IRFU do not help relations between the two countries at all. Perhaps it is time to seriously ask why Ireland is the permanent home of the IRB. It needs to be moved to a neutral venue as is the case with cricket.
Posted 05:25 02nd December 2009
beninuk says...
Well I suppose the citing commission miss or overlook a lot of things so teams may feel that they have to cite themselves. Punches to groins, tackles in the air these seem to be overlooked if not wearing green and gold!
Posted 20:30 01st December 2009
catchyname says...
well there you go. the boks have stooped to a new low.....not surprising really
Posted 17:30 01st December 2009
thegeneral says...
From today's Irish Times....
The Boks weren't able to specify exactly when the incident was alleged to have taken place other than to suggest that it was in the second half. Hunter (IRB Match Commissioner) examined the tapes in detail and found that Heaslip had absolutely no case to answer.
The Irish Times understands that the background to the whole process angered the IRFU as not alone did the Springboks allow the name of the player to become public - the story appeared on a website and certainly wasn't Irish led - but they also asked for three Irish players to be investigated. One hour after that request they had reduced that number to two and then half an hour later it became one.
Posted 13:23 01st December 2009
bradstock23 says...
Abrad & Byron - where exactly is the evidence?! No one has any so not really a surprise its been thrown out!
It would be 'material and substantial' with evidence - without its just an allegation which seems to be false!
Posted 13:20 01st December 2009
dsds says...
Well blow me down!
Posted 12:46 01st December 2009
abrad says...
Now there is a surprise!!!
I am also surpirsed that the Ireland management does not consider eye gouging as 'material and substantial'
What a lot of clowns. Boks will just have to do better on the field.
Posted 12:08 01st December 2009
Byron says...
Citing System Strikes again!
I say no more!
Posted 11:38 01st December 2009