CIAN HEALY HAS been banned for three weeks following his stamp on an English front-row during Ireland’s loss to England on Sunday.
The ban will run from this weekend’s set of rugby fixtures and does not expire until 10 March, the day after Ireland play France at home.
The decision, taking by a Six Nations committee comprising of a Welsh, French and Italian representatives, made the decision in London following a 3pm meeting with Healy and IRFU officials.
The prop took exception, in the first half, to the stray leg of English forward Dan Coles in an Irish ruck.
He rushed forward and raked a boot onto Cole, prompting a flare-up between the majority of the players on the Lansdowne Road pitch.
Later in the half, Healy once again entered a ruck to land a blow on English captain Chris Robshaw, resulting in further altercations. Healy was not cautioned by French referee Jerome Garces but the stamping incident was picked up by the citing commissioner after Ireland’s 12-6 loss.
The most likely replacement for Healy is Munster’s Dave Kilcoyne, with Tom Court of Ulster favourite to act as back-up in Murrayfield.
This is the incident that landed Healy in hot, disciplinary soup:
YouTube credit: RBS6Nations
More to follow…
A big loss for us but utterly deserved. A stupid act which may cost us dearly.
Pity it wasn’t Heaslip. Gone to sh*te that fella.
He’ll have more time to flick his borocca into drinks.
now there goes our chance of winning….
zebo
sexton
and now this…
an absolute shambles after two matches….
bye bye Ireland… it’s all over now….
It was a silly thing to do, no place for it and only right the ban is enforced !!
Oh Ok Brian, good for you get one last comment in. The matter is dealt with, punishment given do we really need your stating the obvious comment. 3 weeks is actually very harsh considering that he has a very good disciplinary record. I wonder if the fact there was a welsh and French committee had an impact on the decision considering they all have a vested interest in our front row struggling in the remaining games?? Anyway just try and drop it now, Healy has been a legend for us and he had a lapse of concentration, one which would have never been looked at 10 years ago as harsh- I saw scrum halves do that to peoples backs many a time where limbs are in places where they should not be. Harsh punishment.
Calling someone a legend at the age of 25 is a slight exaggeration. He’s a good player but we’ll hold off a while on kissing his arse.
In my opinion in no way harsh, and once again the term legend is too loosely used. Perhaps you missed the shoulder charge on the ruck and subsequently losing his head so it wasn’t a single lapse in concentration. A very good player but a silly act. You do the crime, you do the time.
+1
Richard talks Poo. The movie. Coming to theatres near you.
Below link to article thats shows where the IRB were not happy with dome decisions of late and Healy is part of cracking it up.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/irish-news/cormac-byrne-healy-could-be-the-victim-of-poor-timing-at-hearing-29067732.html
Richard, you’re a special kind of idiot.
3 weeks very lenient considering he could have ended the other players career with that brutal stamp. I would have thought 6 to 8 weeks !
‘Lapse of concentration’ – that’s absurd. He made the decision to stamp and then he stamped. It was premeditated, hardly a lapse in concentration. Fair punishment for CH, terrible news for us.
No place in the game for this cowardly act. We can survive Without him for Scotland game. Shouldn’t hamper his lions inclusion.
Underestimate Scotland at your pearl. It’s only three years ago that a really poor Scotland team beat a very good Ireland team at Croke park.
No place for it on the pitch. Front row,rucks and mauls are dangerous enough with this. Learn from it and move on.
Great opportunity for Kilcoyne and Court
Tommy Bowe injured, Zebo injured, Sexton, injured, and now this( deserved I know). So much for a chance at the championship. I think Trimble must return in place of Gilroy. And earls must start on the wing. O Gara has been a brilliant servant to Irish rugby but I’m afraid he is past it. A dreadful performance against England.
He will learn from this. Still a shoe in for a Lions spot.
(Prop)er order
I have seen worse incidents with less suspension. disciplinary is not consistent
Idiot.
I’d be interested to see the breakdown of the sentencing. Always fun watching the citing commission make things up as they go along. ROG got 4 weeks which was reduced to 1 because 4 was too harsh. Moriarty got 8 which was increased to 10 to make an example of him then reduced by 3 for god only knows. I assume Healy was low end with some tacked on and then taken off again, otherwise he’d have to have 5 weeks off for mitigation which would be ridiculous. Either way I think missing two games is harsh for reckless rucking which is what it must have been for a low end incident.
I dont like how they are delaying it until the weekend to ensure he misses the French game rather than the Rabo game. I know players should miss games with suspensions but I dont think it right the panel can decide which ones.
Six nations Commitee not IRFU and so bans can only apply to Six nations games. If the IRFU banned him it would be different and would apply for the rabo games
IRFU is the owner of Irish rugby not a governing body, they dont hand out bans. And the ban from the committee includes all games within the period of the suspension, its not limited to the six nations.
The IRFU is a governing body and committees in the provinces hand out bans regularly, but only for domestic competitions. In the case of international competitions the power to ban players is vested with the organisers of those competitions.
The IRFU is responsible for domestic rugby yeah, but the IRB is the governing body of rugby. Bans in individual competitions are done via an independent committee in those competitions in line with IRB directives and laws. So those bans are not limited to the competitions in which they were given.
Disgrace should not get that long of a ban, them two New Zealand players didn’t get anything for breaking odriscolls shoulder, for god sake this is rugby it’s physical people crying over a little stamp is very stupid.
That was a leg breaking stamp. Obvious you never played
Evidently it wasnt a leg breaking stamp as Cole was clearly able to continue afterwards. Overall I’m not unhappy with the length of the ban, and on the balance of similar incidents, it seems fair.
Lads, c’mon on! I played the game in the front row all my life since I was a boy and back in the day when it was part of things, I gave (and took) my fair share of “licks” with the boot to boys who thought it was a good idea to bed down in the wrong place for a few seconds….
…the only reason that leg didn’t break in bits is because it had somewhere (open space) to go under the force of CH’s boot. Had his leg not been able to move or was wedged somewhere the force wasn’t going to dissipate – I’d wager that was a very serious break! I wouldn’t say it “shocked me to the core” now like one commenter above but it was pretty bad form…. he knew well what he was at, they should not appeal and the ban is bang on, I’d even say he was lucky (as much as we need him in that front row!)
I agree Graham… Obviously way too many couch rugby players commenting … You go into a ruck to illegally disrupt or if you illegally try to bring down a maul and completely disadvantage the opposition you run the risk of being stamped or raked out of the way… It is the way of the game… Please note that the English team didn’t illegally disrupt too many more rucks or mauls after the incident. Cian’s action wasn’t illegal by any means.. The ferocity and vigor with which he raked/stamped was deemed excessive and inappropriate
Probably should have received a two month ban- the amount of parents who will be turned off the game after witnessing his thuggery.
Nobody was injured. Three weeks is about right.
I agree Brian. Would make you think about allowing your kids to play. I mean, how long would Cole be out for if his ankle had been snapped!? And its no thanks to healy that his ankle isn’t…
Indeed Martin. I was talking to a friend’s cousin earlier and she said she was going to prevent her child Jack from takin part in school’s rugby after witnessing Healy’s actions. As a rugby lover, I was left saddened by her admission and it left me pondering ‘is it all worth it? Is it worth all this grief?’ I intend on taking my young fella out of the local club too.
He has quite an aggressive personality , I’d give him 6 months to be honest. He is a product of the South Dublin yippie sub-culture where consumption of casual drugs is prominent.
Ballet or theatre might be safer for your lad… If that has u shocked to the core… Obviously never played the game!
He went to belvedere, north side. He’s supposed to be funny but a smart arse sh1t
Art – Healy is from Clontarf and was educated in Belvedere – both on the northside, so your argument is rubbish.
You’re a whole other category of idiot.. ‘won’t someone please think of the children’
Stephen you are either a 13 year old boy with no capability to debate an argument without calling people idiots, or a man lacking a single brain cell. If we are putting idiots in to classes, you are certainly the dunce down the back :-)
Oh Paul, what will we do with you? You’ve failed to grasp the spirit of Art’s point. He may reside in the north side but He plays a sport that’s essentially confined to the south side and has been suffocated by south side egoism. It’s unfortunate but that’s the reality. But fair play, you’re good at the geography.
@Brian O’Se, I think the many great rugby regions in Munster, Connaght, Ulster and Leinster would take exception to that. The south Dublin rugby scene is just bigger and so very open to easy ridicule.
Brian if you take your son out of a local rugby club because of Cian Healy I just hope the kid has some other father figure around. You must never have played the game yourself.
Bullying happens in school are you going to take him out of school too.
@art. Seriously you haven’t got a clue. He went to belvedere on a scholarship so your comment is just plain nonsense. If you suffer that badly from reverse snobbery you need some help.
@Brian. What utter nonsense.
Chris, my son watched the game with me on Sunday. What he saw was nothing other than wild butchery. I wasn’t a keen fan if him playing due to the pretentiousness of the whole scene in some quarters in Cork, but as a rugby supporter I was delighted by his participation. Unfortunately, Cian Healy’s behaviour has led me to withdraw my son from all playing activity. He will continue with his Gaelic football and hurling as well as boxing. If this means he’s devoid of any father figure, in your eyes, so be it. As far as I can make out, your ludicrous comments and suggestions should render you unable to take care or advise another individual. Finally, comparing bullying in school to a man who violently stamps on another human is like comparing elephants to mice.
No the south dublin rugby scene is private school vs private school. To say otherwise is stretching it beyond the confines of reasonable debate. Who were the last public school to win the senior cup? And when?
So the next time someone gets a clatter of a hurl on TV that was a bit dodgy you’ll be withdrawing him from hurling also then? Why don’t you just admit that you have a chip on you shoulder regarding rugby?
If he hadn’t seen it would you withdraw him from the sport? If he sees a replay of tyson or chisora on you tube will he be withdrawn from boxing. Best keep him away from the compromise rules when they come around and jesus what about the local junior c hurling derby!
A clatter of a hurl or someone smashing an opponents leg or head open with a hurl?? Big difference. Did you fall out of a tree when you were young?
Exactly…that’s why he’ll be playing senior championship!! I like that one!
You’re joking. You stopped your son playing rugby because of this but GAA is fine? Muppet! As a former player of both codes, GAA was far more prevalent to foul play and violent conduct.
What Healy did was wrong and he is being rightly punished. But get off your pompous high horse. It’s not that you dislike Healy as a player or what he did, but your bias is based on a hatred of South Dublin and rugby, get over yourself. I’m from Connacht before you start.
I feel sorry for your son.
And a senior game never saw a dirty stroke! Don’t worry you have an excuse not to bring him to a rugby environment where you’re out of your comfort zone! You’ve fairly castigated a sport for one incident!
Ha! At least thuggery is usually punished within rugby. In Gaelic games it’s actually encouraged. A game invented for backward people, with animalistic instincts. I’d rather my so a played netball than let them have anything to do with that evil pastime.
Troll,you have no child you have no b#$#s
That is a stupid comment!
If by backward you mean owning the greatest stadium in Ireland, having the biggest participation rate of any sport, in ireland and contributing more to society than any other organisation, than I’ll gladly be labelled backward. Rugby is the sporting equivalent to South African apartheid…to suggest that as a forward looking organisation highlights your animalistic traits alright…I’m going to recommend you are banned from journal – racists and supporters of apartheid out.
He’s a northsider so obviously not a product of the south side.
Boxing? Two men trying to knock each other out and inflict a much damage as possible to the other by punching him in the head and your stopping your son playing rugby. I feel sorry for the boy
Boxing? Two men trying to knock each other out and inflict a much damage as possible to the other by punching him in the head and your stopping your son playing rugby. I feel sorry for the boy
Brian, I think you need to calm down and look at facts. Healy did wrong and has been punished. I have seen incidents on a hurling field that have lead to red cards and no further sanction – so you can’t hold the GAA up as a paragon of virtue in this regard.
Your use of the term apartheid in relation to rugby is either made tongue in cheek or you are ignorant of the steps the IRFU and the four branches have made to grow the sport in all schools. This is bearing fruit in a big way and it is unfair to use one schools cup competition as an example. But if you must, Castletroy College, not a traditional rugby school won the Munster Senior Cup a few years ago.
In my opinion you are foolish to take your son out of the rugby club because go one incident in an international match. If you apply this logic he won’t have any sports to play by the end of the year- or maybe you should get rid of the TV!
Stop talking shit
Chris…I’m going to put you up for thickest comment since the founding of the journal. Your knowledge on boxing is comical. Katie Taylor, a devout spiritual believer, and you think she entered a sport which is about inflicting as much pain as possible on the opponent???? Have you left play school yet??
Guilty out no call for what he done.
I think the suspension was probably about right, the All Black who stamped on a Scottish players head in the Autumn Internationals got 1 week, certainly too lenient! Any sport played at the top level is extremely competitive and judging the school game in the same context would mean one would not allow any young person to play any game. Just watch Soccer, Gaelic Football, Hurling, Rugby League, et al. As only the most talented make it to the top very few parents need to worry too much as their sons or daughters will never be subject to that level of competition.
Yawn.. Bored to tears after your first line of that reply.. If you don’t like to read a comment (which on an open forum are welcomed) may I suggest you kindly f.uck off and take your Healy loving-French/Welsh conspiracy theory attitude with you and climb back under your rock!
Time for Munster to shine again cmon Kilcoyne.
Once is perhaps forgivable twice is insanity.
He really deserves the ban and if he wasn’t a prop Ireland should stop selecting him as penance (40 days or so ;) )
He ought to be shot with Mike Gibson’s sh***!
What happened with that England under 20?