Llanelli fan gets life ban for Lomu incident

Llanelli Scarlets have handed a life ban to the supporter who verbally abused Cardiff winger Jonah Lomu earlier this month.

Simon Coddrington, also banned from all football grounds in Nottinghamshire, met Llanelli chief executive Stuart Gallagher yesterday and was told he would not be welcome back at Stradey Park following his "irresponsible and unacceptably aggressive behaviour".

During the televised game on January 2nd, Coddrington threw the ball away from Lomu and then appeared to verbally abuse the New Zealand winger. "This club will simply not tolerate this sort of loutish behaviour," said Gallagher.

"As well as insulting a great player, his behaviour was offensive to both clubs and the game of rugby." Llanelli issued a written apology to Cardiff and then launched a media campaign in a bid to identify the culprit.

Coddrington recently moved to the Llanelli area from Nottingham. A spokesman for Nottingham Forest FC confirmed earlier this week that Coddington has been banned from all football league grounds in the Nottinghamshire police force area until May 12th, 2009.

SIX NATIONS: Wales coach Mike Ruddock has opened the door for Gavin Henson to play a major role in his team's defence of their Six Nations title following his successful appeal.

Ruddock hailed the decision to cut Henson's 72-day ban for elbowing Leicester's Alex Moreno by three weeks as "good news" for Wales.

And it emerged Henson also commands some political clout after Secretary of State for Wales, Peter Hain MP, wrote to the ERC panel against the original suspension.

Henson will still miss the Six Nations games against England and Scotland but now looks almost certain to feature in the remaining fixtures against Ireland, Italy and France.

"I believed from the start that the ban was unfair and too big," said Ruddock. "While I have the utmost regard for the disciplinary procedure, I'm pleased in this case that the ban has been reduced. It's better news for Gavin, the Ospreys and for Wales.

"If Gavin concentrates on his fitness and skills work to gain a place in the Ospreys side when the ban is lifted, he can play himself into contention for the remainder of the Six Nations."

Hain, MP for Neath, said: "I wrote the letter because I was at the game and witnessed the incident involving the player and I hope it helped his appeal. I told the European Rugby Cup boss, Roger O'Connor that Gavin is a fair, but tough player and I have never seen him involved in deliberate foul play. The ten-week ban was disproportionate and grossly unfair."

EUROPEAN CUP: Olly Barkley will start his first game at outhalf for Bath for more than a year when they take on Bourgoin in the European Cup tomorrow. The move is sure to arouse the interest of England's coach Andy Robinson who, with Jonny Wilkinson's continuing injury travails, is keen to have an established reserve to Charlie Hodgson at number 10.

Barkley's proposed switch bears the hallmarks of Bath's new head coach Brian Ashton, who will want to add a touch of creativity to his back line after last week's humbling Premiership defeat to the bottom club Leeds. Barkley last played at outhalf for England against France in last season's Six Nations but has not filled the position for Bath since October 2004.