Rugby:Tommy Bowe was cleared of an alleged spear tackle on Viadana's Kaine Robertson at a disciplinary hearing at ERC headquarters in Dublin this evening, where the Brive pair of Arnaud Mela and Guillaume Ribes picked up seven and four week bans respectively before further hearings were adjourned until tomorrow morning.
Ospreys winger Bowe was cited by commissioner Iain Goodall (Scotland) and accused of making a dangerous and illegal tackle on Robertson during their 62-7 Heineken Cup win last weekend.
At today’s hearing Judge Jeff Blackett (England) determined that “although the player had committed an act of foul play (so that the citing was upheld), the act of foul play had not warranted a red card. Accordingly the player is free to play”.
It means the Ireland winger is free to line-out for Ospreys in their Pool 3 match against Viadana at Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
Earlier in the day Mela was brought in front of the hearing by citing commissioner Alberto Recaldini for an alleged punch/strike on London Irish replacement hooker Danie Coetzee during last Saturday’s 36-3 defeat at Stadium Municipal.
The Brive hooker was found to be guilty of foul play and the ban, which he has right of appeal, runs up to and including January 31st, 2010.
In Ribes’ case his four week suspension came after being sent off last Saturday last for kicking an opponent.
The frontrow was found guilty of foul play but the offence was considered to be at the low end of seriousness, resulting in a ban up to and including Sunday, January 10th.
Ribes will be available when the French side take on Leinster in the penultimate round of games at The RDS the following weekend.
Today’s session was adjourned “due to unforeseen travel delays” before the cases of Stade Francais pair, David Attoub and Julien Dupuy, could be heard. The pair were cited for alleged gouging incidents on Ulster’s Stephen Ferris last weekend.
The hearings for both players will begin from 7.30am tomorrow.
