Ospreys star Bowe escapes ERC ban

IRELAND and Ospreys wing Tommy Bowe has escaped suspension following a European Rugby Cup (ERC) hearing yesterday.

Bowe, pictured arriving for the hearing, was cited for a dangerous tackle on Viadana wing Kaine Robertson during the Ospreys’ 62-7 Heineken Cup victory last weekend.

However, at an independent disciplinary hearing in Dublin yesterday, the citing commission agreed Bowe committed an act of foul play, but it was not felt his actions warranted a red card, therefore Bowe avoided sanction.

An ERC statement read: “The citing lodged by the Citing Commissioner for the match, Iain Goodall (Scotland), was for lifting a player from the ground and either dropping or driving that player’s head and/or upper body first into the ground whilst the player’s feet are off the ground on Viadana wing Kaine Robertson (No 14) in contravention of Law 10.4 (i).

“The independent judicial officer, Judge Jeff Blackett (England), determined that although the player had committed an act of foul play (so that the citing was upheld), the act of foul play had not warranted a red card. Accordingly the player is free to play.”