SNRL issue statement clarifying confusion over Healy’s suspension

Not that Leinster picked him but after two days of confusion surrounding Cian Healy’s three-week suspension, RBS 6 Nations Championship organisers felt sufficiently moved yesterday to issueclarification on the matter.

Both the Ireland and Leinster camps had over the last 48 hours made known their view that the ban handed out to the loosehead prop on Wednesday after Healy pleaded guilty to a stamp on England’s Dan Cole was lacking in clarity. As they saw it, the return to play date was midnight on Sunday, March 10, yet the length of the suspension was six days more than the independent Disciplinary Committee which heard Healy’s case had meted out to the player in London on Wednesday.

The flow of information was such that Leinster, privatelyaggrieved that the disciplinary committee had presumed their selection policy did not include Healy for this weekend, believed they were entitled to select him for this evening’s RaboDirect Pro12 home game against Treviso, until Ireland head coach Declan Kidney said he understood the ban was already in place.

Six Nations Rugby Limited (SNRL) yesterday insisted there was no confusion whatsoever, scoffing media reports that had suggested the three-weekplaying suspension imposed on Healy was “somehow unprecedented and/or outside the scope of the relevantregulations”.

Ireland are still waiting on the written decision before weighing whether to launch an appeal but the SNRL, quoting a letter from the chairman of the independent Disciplinary Committee, Roger Morris of Wales, to Healy and the Ireland management which represented him at the hearing which clarified that the player had been expressly told the start date for the ban was the day he had received the citing complaint against him, last Monday, February 11, and would last until midnight on Sunday, March 10, 2013.

“I do not think anyone present at the hearing on Wednesday was in any doubt that Mr Healy is not free to play again until after midnight on March 10,” Mr Morris was quoted as writing.

SNRL also cited a clause in the Six Nations Disciplinary and Anti-Doping Rules to support their contention they had in fact done their sums correctly, even if they hadn’t fully shown their workings to the Ireland camp.

The clause, which Healy can read as he watches his Leinster team-mates on the RDS sidelines this evening, reads: “Where the Disciplinary Committee decides to suspend a player, the suspension will be effective immediately, subject to the Disciplinary Committee’s discretion tocommence the suspension on another date, for example, on the date on which ... an interim suspension was imposed ...”

Meanwhile Ian Madigan willbe aiming foranother perfect place kicking performance this evening to impress his claims for a number 10 jersey upon a two notable observers. The 23-year-old is a month into a lengthy test of character that may see him take on the mantle of Leinster’s main out-half once Jonny Sexton departs in the summer. With Sexton now ruled out of the Scotland game at Murrayfield next weekend, Madigan will be desperate to make a winning impression on Joe Schmidt and Ireland coach Declan Kidney.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney, speaking on Thursday, offered Madigan some encouragement about his call-up chances for Scotland.

“It’s important that Ian puts down a marker with Leinster too,” he said. “With Jonny moving to France there’s a good opening for Ian to make a good statement for them this weekend.”

Leinster forwards coach Jono Gibbes was impressed with the out-half’s 100% accuracy in kicking last weekend against Cardiff Blues but did not guarantee that he would be the Blues’ go-to if and when Benetton Treviso are penalised.

“It’s not such much that we’re taking it away from Mads, it’s just that Fergus is a really good goal-kicker,” he said. “Having the luxury of someone as good as Fergus goal-kicking, we’re here to win games and it’s not always about development.

“Some of the games are tight and it’s about using your best goal-kicker. Has Ian improved? Absolutely. My faith in him has grown a hell of a lot.”

Leinster: L Fitzgerald, D Kearney, E O’Malley, A Goodman, F McFadden, I Madigan, E Reddan; J McGrath, S Cronin, J Hagan, B Marshall, D Toner, R Ruddock (capt), D Ryan, J Murphy.

Replacements: A Dundon, J O’Connell, M Bent, L Cullen, S Jennings, I Boss, N Reid, F Carr.