No action taken on Leeds/Wasps game

The English Rugby Football Union today revealed they will take no disciplinary action after reviewing a tape of Leeds’ Zurich Premiership clash with Wasps at Headingley last Sunday.

Wasps director of rugby Warren Gatland was furious yesterday when it had materialised that an act of foul play during the match could have ruled second row Simon Shaw out of this weekend’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Munster.

Gatland claimed the England forward, who was hauled off the substitutes’ bench in the second half when the match was evenly poised, was the victim of a stamping incident which left him with bruising around the ribs and kidneys.

When the bruising failed to subside, Wasps feared Shaw’s injury was more serious than initially thought but a scan yesterday ruled out any damage to the spleen and the player is fit for Sunday’s trip to Dublin.

Shaw’s availability is a massive relief to Gatland – the 30-year old lock is a key member of the Wasps’ pack – but the Kiwi was angry the episode went unpunished during the match or by the independent citing officer.

However, the RFU’s disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett insisted Gatland should have flagged up the incident with the citing officer and took a swipe at his decision to make his feelings public.

“We have established a procedure with the directors of rugby for citing players in the Premiership following alleged incidents of foul play,” he said.

“This includes the facility for individual clubs to ask the relevant citing officer to look at particular incidents. I would encourage all directors to use this facility rather than raising the issue through the media.”