Dupuy’s season over despite ban cut

JULIEN DUPUY, the Stade Francais scrum-half, will miss France’s entire Six Nations campaign after his appeal against a 24-week suspension for gouging was reduced by just seven days to 23 weeks.

Thu, 14 Jan, 2010 - 00:00

Martin Claffey

The France international received the original punishment on December 18 after being found guilty of gouging Ulster’s Irish international back-row forward Stephen Ferris in their European Cup clash on December 12, which Ulster won 23-13 at Ravenhill.

The IRB has been keen to eradicate gouging from the game and the independent appeal committee at Heathrow in London last night opted to reduce his ban by just a week.

An ERC statement said: “The independent appeal committee, chaired by Professor Lorne Crerar (Scotland) and also comprising Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland), found Mr Dupuy had demonstrated that the original decision had been in error only in a limited and technical manner, by taking into account the need for deterrence when determining entry point rather than as an aggravating factor.

“The independent appeal committee agreed with the independent judicial officer that the offence was at the top end in the level of seriousness but determined that the original decision should be varied by reducing the suspension by one week to a period of 23 weeks. He will be free to play on 27 May, 2010.”

Sanctions for gouging offences have been toughened up following the furore which surrounded the eight-week ban handed to South Africa flanker Schalk Burger for gouging Ireland winger Luke Fitzgerald in the second Lions Test last summer. Leinster flanker Shane Jennings received a 12-week ban earlier this season for gouging London Irish lock Nick Kennedy.

Meanwhile, the independent disciplinary hearing involving Perpignan’s Jerome Schuster was postponed due to weather-related travel problems. Schuster was cited from the Heineken Cup Pool 1 Round 4 match against Munster at Stade Aime Giral, on December, 20, where he was accused of striking Munster’s Denis Leamy with his head. He was yellow carded for his actions at the time.