Stringer at centre of citing allegation

Peter Stringer is at the centre of a new citing allegation involving old rivals Munster and the Ospreys.

The Welsh club are considering taking action against the scrum-half following Munster’s 13-9 Celtic League win at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

The Ospreys are to watch a video of the game before deciding to pursue the case.

They believe Stringer stamped on Andy Newman in a similar way to that of Ryan Jones, who was shown the red card for putting the boot into Donncha O’Callaghan’s head in the same game.

“It seems a case of double standards,” said Ospreys manager, Derwyn Jones.

But Munster coach Alan Gaffney immediately jumped to Stringer’s defence. “Peter has no case to answer. All he was doing was attempting to free up the ball in a ruck.

“The referee had no problem with it, simple as that,” he said.

It’s the latest spat in an on-going series of controversies between the sides. They’ve met three times already this season and will lock horns again at Thomond Park on January 8.

Ospreys won the first game 34-17 on the opening day of the Celtic League season back in September when Munster were under-strength.

Ironically, it took a Stringer try to separate the teams in their next encounter in October in the Heineken Cup at the Gnoll.

The scrum-half’s opportunism helped Munster to a 20-18 success in a game overshadowed by racial abuse allegations aimed at Marcus Horan.

He was cleared of any wrong-doing, but Ospreys wing Richard Mustoe was cited by Munster for stamping on Horan’s face and suspended for 12 weeks.

Mustoe is out of the return game next month and it seems certain Welsh international Ryan Jones will also be suspended.

The Welsh RFU will decide his fate in the coming days and he, too, could face a long spell on the sidelines.

Clearly, the temperature is rising in advance of the Ospreys’ visit to Limerick for a must-win game to keep their European hopes alive.

Article courtesy of the Evening Echo