Rugby:Seán O'Brien will appear before an IRFU disciplinary hearing tomorrow evening after being cited for allegedly making contact with the eye area of a Treviso player last weekend. If found guilty, the Leinster and Ireland backrow can expect to be hit with a lengthy ban.
The incident occurred in 62nd minute of Treviso’s shock win in Italy when O’Brien and replacement Leinster prop Richardt Strauss got involved with Treviso player Enrico Pavanello. O’Brien appeared to attempt to grab the Treviso player’s scrum cap but television replays show his hand coming into contact with the opposing player’s face.
Already without Kevin McLaughlin until the New Year, a ban for O’Brien would seriously stretch Leinster’s resources in the back row. The province has made an indifferent start to the new campaign, losing two of their opening three Magners League fixtures.
With testing Heineken Cup fixtures against Racing-Metro and Saracens looming, Leinster coach Joe Schmidt can ill-afford to be without O’Brien for a substantial period of time.
Leinster lost Shane Jennings for 12-weeks for the same offence in October of last year after he was adjudged to have made contact with Nick Kennedy’s eyes during a European match.
The London Irish secondrow subsequently admitted at an ERC hearing that he made a meal of the incident at the time but the authorities are adamant any contact with the eye, or eye area, has no place in the game.
Munster’s Alan Quinlan missed the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa after he was adjudged to have committed a similar offence during an incident with Leo Cullen in the previous year’s Heineken Cup semi-final.
The Stade Francais pair of David Attoub received bans of 70 weeks and 23 weeks respectively after both were found guilty of gouging Ulster’s Stephen Ferris in last season’s Heineken Cup.