TV evidence crucial in O’Connell investigation

FRENCH referee Christophe Berdos cited the use of an elbow by Paul O’Connell in the incident that led to his red card against Ospreys on Sunday.

However video and photographic evidence suggests the Munster lock struck Ospreys’ Jonathan Thomas with his right forearm.

The distinction could prove relevant in terms of the possible sanctions O’Connell faces under the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) tariff of punishments that Heineken Cup organisers ERC employs in dealing with disciplinary matters.

The IRB’s Regulation 17 pertains to illegal and/or foul play and misconduct and its appendix on recommended sanctions indicates that “striking with hand, arm, fist” carries a range of suspensions from two weeks at the lower end to five weeks for a mid-range offence with a top end from eight weeks up to a maximum of 52 weeks.

Striking with an elbow carries the same low-to-mid-range ban but the top end starts at nine weeks.

There are also mitigating circumstances that can be used by the disciplinary panel when delivering its punishment, such as the player’s previous disciplinary record, whether the act of, in this case, foul play, was reckless or deliberate, and the player’s testimony at the hearing.

Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip, for instance, was handed a five-week ban following this summer’s Test match against New Zealand when he was sent off for twice kneeing All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw at a ruck.

That was a medium-range punishment with Heaslip’s disciplinary panel taking into account how out of character his offence was and the Leinster and Ireland No. 8’s subsequent contrition.