Healy cleared of biting but ankle injury ends tour

There can rarely have been a day of such extreme emotions for Cian Healy as he was cleared of a biting allegation and then ruled out of this British & Irish Lions tour because of injury.

Healy, 25, will leave Australia tomorrow after a scan revealed significant ankle ligament damage, suffered during Wednesday’s game against Western Force.

By the time he departs, England’s Alex Corbisiero and Scotland’s Ryan Grant will have arrived, as head coach Warren Gatland attempts to overcome a loosehead injury crisis exacerbated by Gethin Jenkins’ late withdrawal from today’s game against the Queensland Reds.

Jenkins had missed the first two tour games with a calf injury but having been named in the team for a first start on his third Lions tour, the Welshman felt tightness in his calf during yesterday’s captain’s run.

That leaves England’s Mako Vunipola, 22, as the last loosehead standing to face the Reds. With just nine England caps, he is also the least experienced of the three selected by Gatland on April 30 with Healy the perceived Test frontrunner and Jenkins a reliable back-up. Should he follow the Irishman out of the squad, the Lions could be exposed.

Tighthead Dan Cole comes on to the bench today, with starter Matt Stevens likely to switch sides should the need arise.

“Firstly, our thoughts are with Cian,” Gatland said. “It has been a day of mixed emotions for him after quite rightly being cleared of foul play but then the scan revealing the extent of the damage to his ankle.

“He has made a big contribution on and off the field in the last two weeks and we wish him well in his recovery.”

Grant, 27, made his debut for Scotland a year ago, while Corbisiero, 24, has spent much of this season injured. Healy will be sorely missed but at least he will return home to Ireland with his reputation intact after being cleared of acts contrary to good sportsmanship, following a hearing in Brisbane.

He had been cited under Law 10.4(m) following an incident against the Western Force in Perth which led to the allegation he had bitten scrum-half Brett Sheehan.

Hearing the case Judicial Officer Nigel Hampton QC, from New Zealand, found insufficient evidence to support the allegations and cleared Healy.

“There is no conclusive video evidence of the incident and post-match it was not possible to distinguish any discernible bite marks outside of the ‘regular’ marks usually found following a rugby match,” Hampton said.

“I cannot find proven on the balance of probabilities that there was a deliberate bite here, and the citing complaint is not upheld.”

Hampton determined Sheehan’s arm may have come in contact with Healy’s mouth and that due to the pressure of the tackle it is “likely that unavoidable contact between Healy’s mouth and teeth and Sheehan’s arm occurred.”

Healy, speaking before news of his tour-ending scan emerged, said: “I am very relieved that the hearing has cleared me of such an allegation. I was naturally very disappointed that there was a citing in the first place.

“I always maintained that nothing happened and that I had done nothing illegal. The opposition player’s arm hit me. It is as simple as that.”

The Lions had arrived in Australia hoping the only QC they would be concerned with was Quade Cooper, so tour manager Andy Irvine was relieved that the tourists’ good name had been preserved.

“We always believed that Cian had done nothing wrong and had not acted maliciously in any way,” Irvine said.

“The decision was important to the player’s and indeed squad’s integrity as the allegation was a serious one.”