Ban rules Quinlan out of Lions tour

Quinlan hearing: Alan Quinlan has been found guilty of making contact with the eye area of Leo Cullen in the Heineken Cup semi-final and handed a 12-week ban. The suspension will rule the Munster flanker out of the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa this summer.

Quinlan’s case was heard at an ERC disciplinary hearing in Dublin this afternoon where the new Lions captain Paul O’Connell and Munster team manager Shaun Payne were also in attendance. He has 72 hours to lodge an appeal.

The incident in question occurred during the second half of the loss to Leinster where television pictures clearly showed Quinlan making contact with the eye area of Cullen.

Slow motion replays highlighted the offence and in the light of the evidence it was difficult to envisage the player escaping sanction, regardless of any malice or intent.

The ban, which does not include the off-season, will run until September 9th and will also see Quinlan miss the first game of next season.

“After considering the evidence, the independent Disciplinary Committee determined that the offence was at the low-range of the level of seriousness for an offence of this type,” today’s verdict read.

“Having taken into account any mitigating and aggravating factors the independent Disciplinary Committee suspended the player for a period of (12) twelve weeks starting today, May 13th, and running up to and including September 9th 2009.

“The 12 week suspension is for 12 playing weeks. The off-season is not included in the period of ineligibility and he will be eligible to resume playing on September 10th, 2009.”

It is a cruel blow for the 34-year-old who would have savoured the Lions experience for the first and only time.

His inclusion in Ian McGeechan’s 37-man squad last month may have caused surprise in some quarters, not least the English media who vociferously made the case for Tom Croft, but was a fitting reward for the Tipperary man as he approaches the end of an outstanding career.

Quinlan’s enforced absence, along with that of the injured Tomas O’Leary, means that there will now only be 12 Irish players involved with the touring Lions, although that could change if Gordon D’Arcy is called up to replace Tom Shanklin.

The list of contenders to replace Quinlan is headed by Leicester’s Croft and Wales captain Ryan Jones.

Paddy Wallace, meanwhile, will not travel with the Ireland squad on the forthcoming tour of North America on medical advice.

Wallace suffered a number of head injuries this year and has been advised to rest. Wallace was not named in the squad earlier this week but a place had been kept open for the Ulster centre.

Coach Declan Kidney is already without the 12 players travelling with the Lions and the Leinster players on duty in Edinburgh for the Heineken Cup final.

Ireland are due to play Canada on May 23rd in Vancouver and Eddie O’Sullivan’s US Eagles seven days later in Santa Clara, California.