Rugby:Ronan O'Gara will not only miss next weekend's final Heineken Cup pool match against Racing Metro, but also the start of the Six Nations if he is found guilty of kicking an Edinburgh player yesterday. The Munster player is alleged to have kicked Edinburgh second row Sean Cox during the second half of Munster's win at Murrayfield.
Video footage of the incident has been widely circulated online, with O’Gara appearing to make contact with Cox from behind in the 64th minute. Tempers flared in the immediate aftermath, with a number of players involved in scuffles while a clearly incensed Cox had to be restrained by his Edinburgh teammates.
Alberto Recaldini, the match citing commissioner, clearly felt O’Gara had a case to answer and the outhalf will face a disciplinary hearing in Dublin this Thursday. Given the low end recommended punishment for kicking an opponent – which comes under Foul Play, Law 10.4 (c) – is four weeks, should O’Gara be found guilty he is looking at spending at least a month on the sidelines.
Munster round off their group stage campaign on Sunday at home to Racing Metro, a match they need to win with a bonus point to guarantee a place in the knockout stages of the competition. Ireland get their Six Nations underway on February 2nd against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
Racing Metro centre Fabrice Estebanez, meanwhile, could also miss the match at Thomond Park after he was cited for allegedly striking Saracens’ David Strettle with his arm last Saturday.
