Deans: Horwill verdict huge boost to Aussies

Australia head coach Robbie Deans insists having captain James Horwill available for the final Test will not give his side an edge but admits his players have received a massive boost after the skipper’s stamping acquittal was upheld.

Horwill, 28, faced an IRB appeal after he was cleared of stamping on the Lions’ Alun Wyn Jones during the first Test by the world governing body’s initial independent judicial officer (IJO), Nigel Hampton.

Yet a second IJO, Canada’s Graeme Mew, yesterday saw no reason to uphold the IRB’s appeal and cleared the Australian second row to face the Lions in Saturday’s series decider in Sydney.