All in the scrum

A miscellany compiled by JOHNNY WATTERSON

McCarthy cleared: Connacht lock free to play in upcoming New Zealand tour

CONNACHT LOCK Mike McCarthy has been cleared of a citing complaint. McCarthy was alleged to have made contact with the eye or eye area of Glasgow secondrow Tom Ryder in their RaboDirect Pro 12 game on May 5th.

An Independent disciplinary committee, comprising Robert Williams, Simon Thomas and Aurwell Morgan (all Wales), found that on the evidence available and in particular in light of McCarthy’s explanation of the incident together with a statement from Ryder that McCarthy is free to play in the upcoming tour to New Zealand.

They found that although there had been contact with an area in close proximity to the eye it applied a test from a previous case as to the meaning of “eye area” and found McCarthy had made no contact with Ryder’s eye area.

The statement noted that: “In the ERC appeal case involving Alan Quinlan in May 2009, the tribunal stated that contact by a player with an opposition player’s ‘eye area’ would occur in respect of ‘any area of the face in close proximity to the eye, where contact would cause a victim to fear for the safety of his eye or where there is substantial risk that there could be contact with the eye’.”

** RESENTMENT IN England about the Pro 12 offering easy access to the Heineken Cup is not fiction. “That perception, you asked about that perception and that answer is most definitely yes,” said Sky Sports’ Stuart Barnes. “Right now, in England in particular, the feeling is that is too easy for the Celtic teams to get in.”

Browne Luke warm: But hot on succession strategy

IRFU CHIEF executive Philip Browne was unable to provide an update on Luke Fitzgerald’s contractual negotiations yesterday but did reveal a productive meeting on the player succession strategy was recently attended by all the professional coaches in Ireland.

“The key for Luke at the moment is his injury and trying to sort that out,” said Browne of the planned neck surgery. “In relation to his contractual situation I never talk about player contracts. Obviously we are doing our damnedest to make sure he is sorted out in terms of his injury. That is the priority.”

Regarding the strategy to bring through two Irish eligible players in every position in the provincial squads, Browne revealed the coaches are now largely in agreement with the union’s policy.

“We got about 40 people involved in running professional rugby in this country together about 10 days ago and it was remarkable the extent to which everyone was singing off the same sheet. I found it an extremely positive meeting. Everyone understands the national team has to be the priority if we are to maintain the professional game in this country,” said Browne.

Barnes warning: Jackson may be Ulster's weak link

PADDY JACKSON (right) has a burgeoning reputation in Ulster as the province’s coming outhalf. The 20-year-old has seen off Ian Humphreys to London Irish but there are some who see his inexperience as an Achilles heel in the weekend final against Leinster

“If I was an Ulster fan I would be worried,” said Stuart Barnes yesterday. “ He is going to have some pretty hard-nosed blokes running down his channel and I know he is chunky and solid, but it is different. I felt against Edinburgh, he wasn’t protected, but he wasn’t asked to do that much and I would worry that the team are worried about their 10 going out on the pitch and not doing anything wrong.

“Frankly, even though Ian Humphreys is going to London Irish and was awful against Munster and seemed not to handle the pressure psychologically I think a gamble on Humphreys might have been the right call. I think Leinster will fancy Paddy Jackson and that is not negating what this kid might have.”

Taking the long view

IRFU CHIEF executive, Philip Browne, made exactly the same point about relegation as Niall Quinn had during Man City’s win over relegation-threatened QPR on Sunday. Like Browne, Quinn’s view takes in more than football.

“A lot of people poo poo the Rabo because there is no promotion or relegation but if you look around world wide the best professional competitions – the NFL, the NBA, look at Australian Rules, they are all closed competitions with no relegation,” said Browne.

“What’s the benefit of that? Well, it allows you to invest in your facilities, to invest in your players, to invest in your structures. If you are constantly worried about whether you are going to be relegated or not it prevents long-term planning.

“Promotion or relegation is wonderful to some extent but in other ways it can be very detrimental to the development of professional sport.” QPR survived.