Matthews Cited!

Surely this is a ridiculous over reaction from the officials, yellow at the time and now a citing? Having been cited he could face a minimum 12 week ban...

Didnt look like there was any gouging to me.

How did everyone else see it?

Honestly I'm not surprised. I don't believe it was gouging as such but his hands were over Ryan's eyes and thats asking for trouble...there's been lengthy bans for the same.

Williams got cited for having his hand on Burrells face. No sign of gouging but deemed "reckless". Nigh impossible to defend so he'll get a ban of about six weeks.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Williams got cited for having his hand on Burrells face. No sign of gouging but deemed "reckless". Nigh impossible to defend so he'll get a ban of about six weeks.

Williams pleaded guilty as his hand was in the face area and by doing so the ban is limited. Plead not guilty and fail and it is much longer.

Lose lose situation really, didn't a Welsh player get a similar ban for putting his hands around hartley's face as well?

If he does get the 6 weeks then that'll place a real burden on Quins backrow resources.

LT, he pleaded guilty because Tigers have previously pleaded not guilty and then found that the case is impossible to win (see the consternation over the Young ban a few years back).

formerly known as Sam wrote:LT, he pleaded guilty because Tigers have previously pleaded not guilty and then found that the case is impossible to win (see the consternation over the Young ban a few years back).

What i was trying to say in my clumsy way. This is an area where the desire to clean up the game has seen an over-reaction and nannying.

yappysnap wrote:Lose lose situation really, didn't a Welsh player get a similar ban for putting his hands around hartley's face as well?

If he does get the 6 weeks then that'll place a real burden on Quins backrow resources.

Scrum Half Richie Rees

http://www.rugbydump.com/2011/01/1771/richie-rees-banned-for-12-weeks-after-contact-with-dylan-hartleys-eyes
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jan/06/wales-richie-rees-ban

12 weeks for 'accidental' !!

http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychampionscup/news/29884.php#.VJK-88mHhDF

Mathews not guilty.

Fair play. Dominic Ryan says there was no contact with the eye area.

Last time there was a Leinster 7 and an English 2nd row in a similar situation Shane Jennings got a long ban for basically feck all. I don't remember the English 2nd row speaking up for him. In fact I remember him acting like he had been gouged. Fecker went down in my estimation.

http://www.epcrugby.com/images/content/Shane_Jennings_Independent_Diciplinary_Decision.pdf

Kennedy wrote:I advised the Citing Commissioner that I may have over-reacted, particularly with the choice of language used in my moments of anger. I would also confess that in the euphoria after the game and being mindful that my eye was not danmaged, I did not wish anything to come of the incident

Big difference is Jennings DID make contact with the eye. There was video footage of it. Matthews didn't make contact with the eye, again there was video footage. Kennady made a statement that he over-reacted, particularly with his language, I guessing it's with the use of the term "gouge", and he didn't want anything to come of it. It was Kennady's statement that helped it be judged as a low entry point rather than mid, so a 18 week ban instead of 12. Jennings wasn't helped by the fact he showed no remorse for putting his hands in a player's face, which was being clamped down on very hard at the time. Could have easily been a 6 week ban instead of 12.

yet again we have the battle of midway................ your guy wasn't gouged but he milked it. No, your guy gouged and didn't act sorry.

My guy says he doesn't believe either of you But he's cynical by nature so don't mind him.

Sometimes Fly I think only you understand what you're on about...

Not really. Jennings made contact with Kennedy's eye when he put his hands in his face. Kennedy over-reacted and said he was gouged to the ref. Afterwards he admitted he over-reacted and his statement was used to set it at low-entry, rather than mid. As far as Jennings was concerned he was able to put his hands in someone's face and if his fingers made unintentional contact with the eye it wasn't his fault. Unfortunately for him that's not the belief of the discipline panels in Europe at the time.

This time Matthews put his hand in the guy's face but didn't make contact with the eye.

yappysnap wrote:Sometimes Fly I think only you understand what you're on about...

If you can't understand what I said just above you then yes, you're probably right. That saddens me though.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychampionscup/news/29884.php#.VJK-88mHhDF

Mathews not guilty.

Fair play. Dominic Ryan says there was no contact with the eye area.

Last time there was a Leinster 7 and an English 2nd row in a similar situation Shane Jennings got a long ban for basically feck all. I don't remember the English 2nd row speaking up for him. In fact I remember him acting like he had been gouged. Fecker went down in my estimation.

It would have been ridiculous is Matthews was banned. Also Dom Ryan made a meal of it at the time too. He was in a heap on the ground for nothing.

Personally I think Danny Care had more of a case to answer for dropping elbows on Madigan's face, although Madigan was asking for it.

I do find it interesting sometimes how peoples view of a player colours any of these incidents.

The way it always goes from 'he isn't the type of player that does that' through to 'he was asking for it'.

Hands were in the eye area, you do that as a player and you are goading the officials to judge the situation. If he kept the other arm around the neck and concentrated on choking the player all would be fine (according to the unwritten rules and the silent voice of the rugby masses), but you put the other hand up around the face that's playing with fire.

Why don't they all just do the good old fashioned "I'll pretend to just grab your collar but really I'm trying to rabbit punch you" manuvuere.

GunsGerms wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychampionscup/news/29884.php#.VJK-88mHhDF

Mathews not guilty.

Fair play. Dominic Ryan says there was no contact with the eye area.

Last time there was a Leinster 7 and an English 2nd row in a similar situation Shane Jennings got a long ban for basically feck all. I don't remember the English 2nd row speaking up for him. In fact I remember him acting like he had been gouged. Fecker went down in my estimation.

It would have been ridiculous is Matthews was banned. Also Dom Ryan made a meal of it at the time too. He was in a heap on the ground for nothing.

Personally I think Danny Care had more of a case to answer for dropping elbows on Madigan's face, although Madigan was asking for it.

Both were given citing warnings

http://www.epcrugby.com/discipline/29885.php

thebandwagonsociety wrote:
Why don't they all just do the good old fashioned "I'll pretend to just grab your collar but really I'm trying to rabbit punch you" manuvuere.

Or better still the "Oh blimey, your contact nearly fell out and amn't I only after helping to push it back in"

Fly, are you trying to become the new Gibbo?