RUGBY:Ireland and Munster hooker Jerry Flannery and his Wasps counterpart Raphael Ibanez, who are due to be in opposition in Saturday's semi-final Heineken European Cup Pool Five clash at Thomond Park, will have to appear before ERC disciplinary panels as a result of incidents arising out of European matches last weekend.
The major issue for both players in relation to next Saturday's game is when those disciplinary panels will be convened. An ERC spokesperson refused to rule out the possibility that the respective cases could still be heard ahead of the match. "It's a case of convening three disciplinary hearings, getting the panels in place and allowing the players a reasonable opportunity to compile their cases. We'll know more in the morning (Wednesday)."
If the hearings were not convened ahead of the match then Flannery and Ibanez could play in Limerick. Wasps tighthead Phil Vickery was cited for a stamping incident on Clermont secondrow Thibaut Privat earlier in the campaign and could have lined out in the return game as the disciplinary hearing had not been called at that point but the London club chose to omit him for the match.
Flannery was cited for "alleged stamping/trampling on ASM Clermont Auvergne flanker Julien Bonnaire (number six) in contravention of Law 10.4 (b)," according to the ERC statement. The French international suffered a cut above his eye, requiring a visit to the sideline to be patched up. Flannery is adamant that any contact was accidental and not premeditated.
It was not the only citing arising from that match as the match commissioner, Achille Reali, has also called upon Clermont flanker Alexandre Audebert to account for his actions in two separate incidents, one involving Munster outhalf and captain Ronan O'Gara (20 stitches around his ear) and the other for punching flanker Alan Quinlan. Audebert received a yellow card for the second incident from referee Rob Debney.
The ERC statement read: "The citings lodged by the Citing Commissioner for the match, Achille Reali (Italy), were for: 1) alleged stamping/trampling on Munster outside half Ronan O'Gara (number 10) in contravention of Law 10.4 (b). 2); alleged punching of Munster replacement Alan Quinlan (number 19) in contravention of Law 10.4 (a)."
Munster were particularly unhappy with the manner in which O'Gara was injured. The Irish outhalf completed the match sporting a bandaged head. Quinlan, who had come on as a replacement for Anthony Foley, required treatment but was also able to continue.
Ibanez faces censure for an incident arising out of Wasps victory over the Llanelli Scarlets at Adams Park on Sunday. The citing commissioner for that game, Scotland's Peter Brown, lodged a citing for "for alleged stamping/trampling on Llanelli Scarlets flanker Simon Easterby (number seven) in contravention of Law 10.4 (b)."
Meanwhile, the IRFU have launched a new first aid programme directed at clubs and schools throughout Ireland to formally address the needs of those constituents of the union with regard to the provision of general first aid and basic life support (BLS). The scheme incorporates the use of AED (automated external defibrillators) to complement the first aid provisions already in place in clubs and schools.
The issue of sudden cardiac death in sport was the subject of a recent Government report and the new IRFU programme follows the recommendations of the task force report in relation to the provision of first aid. Rugby's governing body, in partnership with medical company Hibernian Healthcare, will be offering clubs and schools access to the programme at a discount rate to allow them to establish first aid support networks in each club and, if needed, the purchase of an AED.
The programme concentrates on the training aspect of first aid and using AED. The union is looking for a sponsor to offset the cost to schools and clubs and hoped to have a benefactor in place within a month. The initiative was launched by the Tanáiste and Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney at the Royal College of Physicians.
