CIAN HEALY IS free to play for Leinster in tomorrow’s Champions Cup clash with Toulon following his appeal against a two-week suspension.
While his two-week ban has not been wiped clear, it has been lifted for tomorrow’s game, as his appeal cannot be heard before tomorrow’s game.
A hearing for the appeal could not proceed today as the judicial officer who banned Healy yesterday has yet to submit his written decision.
The Ireland international was handed the ban by EPCR’s independent judicial officer Roger Morris yesterday, but Leinster were angered by the fact that the suspension came for an offence other than the one Healy had been cited for.
The 28-year-old was yellow carded in last weekend’s defeat to Toulon for an incident involving Guilhem Guirado, and was cited under Law 10.4 (a), for striking with the knee, following the game.
At an independent disciplinary hearing in Paris on Thursday, Morris said the “charge of striking could not be proven.”
However, the Welshman “determined that Healy had committed an act of foul play” and amended the charge to “[d]angerous charging or obstructing or grabbing of an opponent without the ball, including shouldering – Law 10.4 (f) and Law 10.4 (k).”
Healy was suspended for two weeks, but Leinster immediately announced their decision to appeal as they felt there had been a “failure to follow due process.”
That appeal could not take place today, however, as Morris has yet to submit his written decision on Thursday’s disciplinary hearing to EPCR.
Leinster named Healy on their bench earlier today for the meeting with Toulon in Dublin tomorrow, but later removed him and cited an “error.” Healy is now free to take his place on the bench once again.
The entire affair is the latest farce involving the disciplinary procedure in rugby.
A statement from EPCR this evening reads:
“The Leinster Rugby player, Cian Healy, has lodged an appeal against the two-week suspension imposed on him at an independent Disciplinary Hearing as a result of a citing complaint following his club’s European Rugby Champions Cup Round 3 match against RC Toulon on Sunday, 13 December 2015.
“The independent Judicial Officer at the hearing found that Healy had committed an act of foul play during the match in contravention of Law 10.4 (f) – Dangerous charging or obstructing or grabbing of an opponent without the ball, including shouldering.
“As a written decision of the Judicial Officer is not available, it has not yet been possible to hear the player’s appeal nor set a date for the appeal.
“Pending the outcome of the appeal hearing, Healy filed an application to the independent Appeal Committee to have his suspension lifted.
“The independent Appeal Committee consisting of Professor Lorne Crerar (Scotland), Chairman, Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and Roddy Dunlop QC (Scotland) met today (Friday, 18 December 2015) and allowed Healy’s application to have his suspension lifted.
“The player is therefore free to play until the outcome of his appeal.”
