Cheika fumes as Jennings ban upheld

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has launched a staunch defence of Irish flanker Shane Jennings whose disputed 12-week ban was upheld by an appeal committee sitting in Dublin yesterday.

Jennings was handed the ban last week after being found guilty by a judicial officer of making contact with the eye area of London Irish player Nick Kennedy in the Heineken cup game at the RDS in Dublin on October 9 last.

Yesterday, a European Cup Rugby statement said: “The independent Appeal Committee ... found that Mr Jennings had not demonstrated that the original decision had been in error, or that it should be overturned or varied, and accordingly the... Committee dismissed the appeal and upheld the suspension imposed on the player of 12 weeks.”

The confirmation of the ban will mean Jennings will miss a number of games for Leinster including two Heineken Cup back-to-back matches with Llanelli Scarlets in December as well being denied the possibility of figuring in Ireland’s autumn fixture list that includes full internationals against Australia, Fiji and South Africa.

Cheika said he was mystified as to why the ban had not been overturned, based on evidence put forward in Jennings’ defence.

Speaking on RTÉ radio, an irate Cheika said: “We would be a little mystified by the whole process, to be honest; in the first place I suppose once upon a time we would have welcomed the independent citing situation because there is none of that tit-for-tat between players, but at the end of the day to be cited you would have to have done something that would have warranted a red card.

“Anyone who was looking at the (game) would know that it’s pretty clear what happened did not warrant even a penalty, let alone a red card. What has taken place subsequently has shocked us.

“Shane Jennings did nothing that merited a red card; anything that occurred in that instance was absolutely accidental. Shane was being held by two opponents, he is (was) trying to get up; his hands definitely went on his (opponent’s) face but that happens in (every) rugby game 20 times.

The players said that in written testimony and in verbal testimony during the hearing and we’re at a loss to understand why – based on that alone, let alone the other evidence – Shane has taken what is a body blow for him.

“Forget about the team, obviously the team will take it very hard but it was the way that Shane has been playing, the opportunity that could have come his way playing for Ireland and not to mention the tarnished reputation.”

Meanwhile, the hearing to consider the citing of Northampton prop Brian Mujati began in Dublin yesterday but was adjourned.

Mujati pleaded guilty to pushing referee Nigel Owens in the back during Friday’s Heineken Cup second-round match against Perpignan.

The case was adjourned to allow additional evidence to be heard regarding the determination of the appropriate sanction, although an interim suspension until November 2 has been imposed on Mujati.