Ban rules Jack McGrath out of big Leinster clashes

Leinster’s Champions Cup planning has been thrown into some disarray after Jack McGrath was suspended for the final two pool games.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt will have breathed a sigh of relief last night after loosehead prop McGrath escaped a lengthy ban after a citing complaint for an act of foul play was upheld by an independent disciplinary committee. But Leinster must now prepare for their European encounters with Castres and Wasps later this month without the front rower.

With head coach Matt O’Connor not expecting fellow prop Cian Healy back in action for the two pool ties, the last thing he needed was losing his other Test loosehead. McGrath had been cited for an alleged stamp on Ireland front row team-mate Rory Best during Leinster’s Pro12 win over Ulster at the RDS on Saturday.

He was penalised by referee Marius Mitrea but not yellow carded and the independent citing commissioner felt the 25-year-old still had a case to answer. The breach of Law 10.4 (b) was deemed to be at the mid-range of World sanctions, the entry-point suspension for which is for five weeks.

That could have ruled McGrath out of Ireland’s opening RBS 6 Nations game against Italy in Rome on February 7, dramatically reducing Schmidt’s options with Healy and James Cronin likely to be short on game time as they return from injury and Dave Kilcoyne still recovering from a knee injury.

The disciplinary committee, however, took into account McGrath’s unblemished record as well as his conduct at yesterday’s hearing and determined the Leinster prop should be given a three-week ban, ruling him out of his province’s final Champions Cup pool games with Castres and Wasps on January 17 and 24 respectively.