HEINEKEN CUP NEWS:FROM A Leinster perspective Malcolm O'Kelly's "low-end" two-week suspension for stamping on London Wasps prop Phil Vickery last Saturday is equal to the worse-case scenario considering the 91-times capped lock will miss Sunday's crucial European Cup meeting with Edinburgh.
Leinster go into the defining game of the season, seeking a winning bonus point, without both frontline secondrows as captain Leo Cullen is ruled out with a shoulder injury, while they have already lost Springbok prop CJ van der Linde (dislocated toe).
An ERC hearing in Dublin yesterday, chaired by Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and including Jean-Etienne Bernard (France) and Robert Williams (Wales), found O’Kelly guilty of foul play in contravention of Law 10.4 (b).
There is right of appeal but Leinster chief executive Mick Dawson deemed that “unlikely” last night, while coach Michael Cheika noted any appeal wouldn’t be convened before the weekend.
The player’s defence hinged upon O’Kelly’s previous exemplary record and Cheika even stated that match referee Christophe Berdos agreed that contact with Vickery was accidental. “That’s how we see it and the referee’s report supports that,” said Cheika.
However, the slow-motion television replay hardly helped O’Kelly’s cause as it clearly showed contact with the former English captain’s head at the bottom of a ruck away from the ball. Touch-judge Jean-Luc Rebollal informed Berdos of the incident and he also had a role in the sin-binning of Rob Kearney.
“We’re disappointed,” Cheika continued. “We thought we had a good case, considering Mal’s near perfect record for so many years playing professional rugby . . . He is very disappointed and feels he has let the team down. We got a good decision last week with Shane (Jennings) but didn’t this week. Our back-up plan will click into gear now.”
Jennings had a suspension from the Magners League game against Connacht overturned on a technicality.
Cheika’s secondrow options now are Devon Toner, Trevor Hogan and Cameron Jowitt.
“Devon (Toner) was devastated to have missed out against Wasps after the season he has had. He has really come on this year and replaced Mal away to Edinburgh, played half the game against Wasps and the Castres games so he has gained a lot of experience.”
On that premise, Toner is certain to replace O’Kelly with Hogan looking to repeat his impressive impact at Twickenham when he came in for Cullen. Stan Wright is expected to recover from a neck injury and take his place in the frontrow, while Ollie Le Roux, officially retired but in Dublin doing scrum clinics, could feature at some stage.
From an Ireland perspective, O’Kelly’s suspension can be viewed in a positive light as he is available from February 5th, two days before the opening Six Nations match against France at Croke Park.
The ERC committee also gave US Dax lock Mickael Bert a three-week suspension for striking London Irish hooker James Buckland on December 11th (Bert initially sought and received an adjournment), ruling him out of tonight’s match against Connacht, while Cardiff Blues winger Tom James got two weeks for striking against Gloucester, having already been sent off by Irish referee Alan Lewis.
