Sheahan free for World Cup

Ireland international Frankie Sheahan is free to play in the World Cup after his doping ban was today cut from two years to three months on appeal.

The Toronto-born hooker tested positive for the drug Salbutamol after a Heineken Cup semi-final for Munster against Toulouse on April 26 and was subsequently charged under the competition’s anti-doping programme.

Sheahan, who made his Ireland debut three years ago and has since won 13 caps, protested his innocence at the time, claiming he had forgotten to properly inform authorities that he was using the drug to combat asthma.

He appealed against the suspension and an independent appeal tribunal has cut the ban to three months and imposed a €5,000 fine.

Sheahan has already served that suspension, with the original offence detected in late May.

While Sheahan had his punishment cut, his club Munster came in for some heavy criticism.

The tribunal noted: “It is a serious matter: the rules relating to completion of forms about drugs and other medication requires strict compliance to support the campaign to keep drug abuse out of sport.

“Both the player and the management of Munster were grossly negligent in the way in which the player consent form was completed and the penalty must be severe to deter such a cavalier approach in the future.”

The tribunal, which consisted of Jeff Blackett, Dr Roger Evans and Jeff Probyn, considered their ruling for seven hours and concluded that Sheahan’s unusually high trace of Salbutamol “was explained by the extreme conditions at that match, including in particular his very dehydrated state”.

Sheahan asked ERC to pay his costs but failed in that bid.

Ronan O’Gara, meanwhile, has returned to the Ireland line-up after Eddie O’Sullivan reshuffled his pack ahead of Saturday’s visit to Murrayfield.

The Ireland coach has made nine changes to the team which beat Italy 61-6 in Limerick last Saturday for this weekend’s match in Edinburgh with O’Gara picked for the first time since he recovered from a wrist injury sustained on the summer’s southern hemisphere tour.

Keith Wood returns at hooker to captain the side with Malcolm O’Kelly and Paul O’Connell coming into the second row and David Wallace picked for the back row.

In the back division, Geordan Murphy returns at full-back, Anthony Horgan is in at right wing and Kevin Maggs at inside centre while O’Gara’s Munster team-mate rejoins him at half-back.

Prop John Hayes and wingers Shane Horgan and John Kelly all miss out due to injury.

The IRFU wished Sheahan well in his playing and commented: "The IRFU strongly reiterates that it fully subscribes to the anti-doping programmes of the Irish Sports Council, the International Rugby Board and the European Rugby Cup.

"The IRFU’s determination to be proactive in this regard is outlined in the statistic that some 103 tests were carried out in the past season, from club to international team level."