Sheahan’s legal team hopeful on appeal

FRANKIE SHEAHAN’S legal team is hopeful that the Munster and Ireland hooker will have a two-year doping ban overturned when his appeal against the sentence is heard on September 1 next.

The ERC confirmed yesterday that Sheahan had lodged an appeal against last month’s decision by the Independent Judicial Tribunal and that it would be heard on September 1.

The original tribunal found Sheahan guilty of a doping violation and subsequently banned him from taking part in any rugby until May 2005.

The appeal will be heard in Dublin and the appeal committee will consist of Jeff Blackett (chairman, England), Jeff Probyn (England) and Dr Roger Evans (Wales).

Sheahan tested positive for the drug Salbutamol after Munster’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulouse on April 26.

The player claimed he had forgotten to tick the appropriate box to inform officials that he was using the drug to treat his asthma.

However, his solicitor Paul Derham confirmed last night that Sheahan was preparing for the appeal and felt there was “a good chance” he would have the ban overturned.

Mr Derham said: “We are happy that we have prepared diligently for the appeal. We have assembled a number of necessary experts with huge knowledge of respiratory medicine and we are satisfied that we have a very good chance of getting an acquittal.”

He would comment no further on the appeal and Sheahan himself will be unavailable for comment until after the hearing.

Of prime concern to Sheahan and his legal team is firstly, to clear the player’s name and secondly, to do everything possible to ensure his availability for Ireland’s World Cup squad.

The former will be achieved if they win an acquittal, while the latter will depend on the decisions made by the Irish selectors.

With Sheahan having already been passed out in the pecking order for the hooker’s berth on the team by Shane Byrne, and with Keith Wood looking increasingly likely to play a full part in the World Cup campaign, Sheahan is now only third in the pecking order.

However, with a 30-man squad being announced by September and the possibility that Eddie O’Sullivan will bring three hookers to the World Cup, Sheahan still has a fighting chance of making the squad, provided there are no undue delays announcing the findings of the appeal panel.