RUGBY/ SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: JERRY FLANNERY will go into his disciplinary appeal hearing next week knowing that the six-week suspension handed down by a three-man disciplinary panel could be further increased, left unchanged or be reduced.
Flannery’s kick on French winger Alexis Palisson in Ireland’s Six Nations match against France in Paris was judged to have been reckless rather than deliberate and he was given a mid-range sanction.
However, a precedent has been set for appeal hearings to go against players and the Six Nations disciplinary officer has lodged a cross-appeal, meaning that whatever the outcome of Flannery’s appeal hearing it will be upheld by all of the Six Nations unions.
In April 2008, Italy flanker Mauro Bergamasco had his 13-week ban across all levels of rugby for eye-gouging lengthened to 17 weeks on appeal.
Bergamasco’s lawyers contested the punishment but the Six Nations’ appeals’ commission decided to extend the suspension after ruling that the then 28-year-old “deliberately put a finger” in the eye of Wales’ Lee Byrne during a Six Nations match.
The three-man independent appeals committee rejected the player’s appeal to reduce the sanction to a lower-end offence from the mid-range originally applied and found the offence merited a top-end entry point in the IRB list of sanctions. Bergamasco subsequently challenged the finding in French courts and was allowed to play for his club, Stade Francais.
Flannery can resume playing on March 29th and is currently available for Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Northampton on April 10th.
The all-action hooker, however, will miss Ireland’s remaining championship games against England, Wales and Scotland.
Meanwhile, the Round 11 Magners League game between Munster and Scarlets, originally postponed due to bad weather on January 10th, has been rearranged.
After consultation with their broadcast partners, Celtic Rugby has decided the game will be played on Thursday, March 18th, with a 7.35 kick-off.
The match will take place at the original venue of Musgrave Park and will be broadcast live by S4C.
The Ireland Under-20 side travel to Gloucester this weekend to take on their English counterparts in the mid-tournament clash in this year’s Under-20 Six Nations.
Coach Allen Clarke has retained the opening XV who started against both Italy and France and has made just one change to the bench where Shannon’s Duncan Casey takes the place of UCD’s David Doyle.
Meanwhile Ireland women’s coach Kevin West has made eight changes to his opening line-up to take on England side on Sunday.
* Francesuffered another injury blow yesterday when lock Pascal Pape was ruled out of tomorrow's Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff (8.00) because of an ankle injury.
Pape, who suffered an ankle injury in training will be replaced by Julien Pierre, while Sebastien Chabal has been recalled as a replacement. Wing Benjamin Fall had to withdraw on Tuesday after injuring his ankle.
