Flannery can have no gripes

RUGBY SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP:IRELAND'S JERRY Flannery can't have too many complaints after receiving a six-week ban that will keep him out of Ireland's remaining three matches, against England, Wales and Scotland in this season's Six Nations Championship.

He was cited for the challenge on French wing Alexis Palisson during last Saturday’s Six Nations game against France in the Stade de France. The offence came under law 10.4c (kicking) which carried a sanction of four to 12 weeks.

“An independent disciplinary committee, chaired by Roger Morris (Wales), with Mike Hamlin and John Doubleday (England), considered the evidence in a Dublin airport hotel yesterday morning, including video of the incident and found that the offending had been reckless rather than deliberate and merited a mid-range sanction under IRB Regulation 17.”

The Six Nations Disciplinary statement continued: “The committee also took account of the guilty plea by the player, who acknowledged at the outset that his action warranted a red card, together with the player’s remorse for the injury caused to Alexis Palisson, the France wing.”

Flannery was immediately contrite in the wake of the incident on the pitch and the sentiments attributed to him at the hearing, acknowledge his guilt.

Had he received a red card from referee Wayne Barnes – the English official did not see it and touch judge Stuart Terheege who intervened erroneously suggested that the Irish player be penalised for not using his arms in the tackle – he might have received a lesser ban.

The minimum sanction for a red card comes under the acronym SOS (sending off sufficient) although the citing commissioner for the game in Paris, Scotland’s Peter Brown, would most probably still have referred the collision of boot and shinbone to a disciplinary committee.

A member of the French coaching team intimated immediately after the match that they were unhappy with the manner in which Palisson picked up the injury that forced his departure from the contest: the suggestion being that they would have invited Brown to review the incident.

There is no doubt that the fact that the French wing was forced to hobble from the pitch less than 10 minutes later would have counted against the Irishman. Slow motion replays confirm that Palisson had control of the ball in his arms when Flannery lunged awkwardly with the boot.

The Ireland hooker was guilty of clumsiness rather than malice but the manner in which he made contact was always going to invite further censure than the penalty awarded at the time. Flannery was accompanied to the hearing by the IRFU’s Gordon Black and solicitor Pat Barriscale.

The IRFU released a statement on learning of the Six Nations disciplinary committee’s ruling. It read: “Following the decision of the Six Nations disciplinary committee today to suspend Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery for six weeks, the IRFU and Ireland team management will wait to review the written judgment before considering any further possible action.”

While it is a sensible reaction, unless a legal loophole can be found Flannery is likely to be sidelined until March 29th, 12 days before Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Northampton Saints at Thomond Park.

The only match for which he would be eligible between the time his suspension finishes and the European quarter-final is a Magners League game against Leinster at Thomond Park on the weekend of weekend of April 2nd/3rd/4th.

Flannery had produced a brilliant performance in Paris – the Palisson folly notwithstanding – for the 61 minutes he was on the pitch before being replaced by Rory Best. The suspension though represents the latest setback in a season dogged by frustration.

After suffering an elbow injury while training with the Lions, days before they were due to depart for South Africa during the summer and missing the tour, he returned to play all three Tests in the November series – his longest uninterrupted, consecutive playing sequence this season – only to succumb to injury once again, requiring an Achilles tendon operation in December.

Diligence and a hard-nosed focus allowed him to rehabilitate and return quicker than many had anticipated in time for the opening game in the Six Nations Championship against Italy at Croke Park.

Now, unless the suspension is overturned, he will be sidelined until the end of March.

Flannery linked up with the Ireland squad in Cork yesterday following the hearing and will take part today in a two-day session that finishes this afternoon.