Tense wait for Quinlan as citing confirmed

HEINEKEN CUP NEWS:MUNSTER FLANKER Alan Quinlan has been cited for "acts contrary to good sportsmanship". The citing lodged yesterday by the citing commissioner for Saturday's Leinster and Munster Heineken Cup semi-final at Croke Park, Englishman John Byett, is for alleged contact with the eye/eye area of Leinster's Leo Cullen in contravention of Law 10.4 (k).

Quinlan was not sanctioned during the match and afterwards both Leinster coach Michael Cheika and captain Cullen, voiced no complaint about the Munster backrow. The independent Disciplinary Committee will be appointed as soon as practicable, probably in a few days’ time.

However brief the ERC statement, there is a degree of seriousness about the nature of the allegation, as Byett specifically mentions ‘alleged contact with the eye/eye area’. According to a referee and Magners League citing commissioner, the wording reflects the seriousness of the case Quinlan now must face.

The very reason the citing commissioner views tapes of a game is to pick up on law contraventions the referee and line judges may not have spotted. The commissioner also has the discretion to recommend a yellow card be upgraded to a red card, or highlight what he believes is an insidious act of foul play.

The seriousness of the allegation will further fuel fears that Quinlan, who will be 35 in July, could miss the Lions Tour to South Africa, which leaves from London in 25 days’ time.

The most recent high profile case of a similar nature involved Northampton and Ireland’s Neil Best who, after appeal, was suspended for 18 weeks when he admitted illegally making contact with the eye or eye area of Wasps and England backrow James Haskell during an English Premiership match last September.

His team-mate at Franklin Gardens, Dylan Hartley, was also suspended for six months in 2007.

“I don’t want to comment on it. A lot of things happen in rugby matches. It’s a physical game, that’s the nature of it,” said Cullen after the semi-final.

“He’s a player I’ve massive respect for so I can’t see him doing anything out of the ordinary,” added Leinster coach Cheika.

Few wish to see Quinlan sanctioned and miss the tour but the fact the incident was clearly caught on camera seemed to insure an investigation would take place. While the outcome of the independent disciplinary committee’s inquiry cannot be predicted, even if the player were to receive a shorter ban, and joined the tour after it had departed on the day after the Heineken Cup final, the lack of match time would make it extremely difficult for him to nail down a Test match place.

Tipperary-born Quinlan made his senior international debut at the 1999 Rugby World Cup as a replacement and made his Six Nations debut against Italy in 2001. After dislocating his shoulder at the 2003 World Cup, the famously combative player fought his way back into the Ireland squad after suffering a number of injury blows. A cruciate ligament injury to his right knee ensured the 2005/06 season was almost a write-off but he worked his way back to fitness before Ian McGeechan was won over by his qualities this season with Munster.

Quinlan is known to be good at socialising, which is an aspect of the tour that McGeechan has emphasised. He is also known as a player who can upset other teams by playing on the edge. If he receives a suspension that keeps him out of the tour, the Irish contingent could be reduced from a record 14 players to 12, following the recent ankle injury to scrumhalf Tomás O’Leary.

Both parties to the hearing, the ERC and the player, have the right to appeal any decision of the Disciplinary Committee within 72 hours of getting the written decision from the committee chairman.