Munster and Ireland hooker Frankie Sheahan's appeal against his two-year suspension from rugby has been adjourned after the initial hearing at the ERC headquarters in Dublin.
Sheahan and his legal team went before the three-man Appeal Committee, comprising Jeff Blackett, Jeff Probyn and Dr Roger Evans, at approximately 3.30 p.m. this afternoon. However, only two of the five medical experts due to appear gave evidence today with the remaining three due back at St Stephen's Green tomorrow.
Sheahan, an asthma sufferer, received the suspension in July after testing positive for the banned substance salbutamol, which he uses as part of his medication.
The key component in Sheahan's defence will be that the levels of salbutamol he took for his asthma were inhaled, and that according to the IOC 2001 regulations there shouldn't actually be any levels set in those circumstances.
They will also seek to prove that his intake of salbutamol could not be interpreted as "performance enhancing".
If the player succeeds in his appeal, he could yet force his way into the reckoning for Eddie O'Sullivan's 30-man World Cup squad, due to be announced on Sunday.