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No justice for McCarthy, or Cullen...
By Sea_point
October 9 2008
The Irish Rugby Football Union Disciplinary Committee met on Wednesday at Lansdowne Road to consider the red card given to Connacht's Michael McCarthy during their Magners League victory against Leinster last Sunday. Connacht forward Mike McCarthy has had his red card rescinded but has quite surprisingly been suspended for three weeks.
The IRFU Disciplinary Committee decided that the first yellow card given to Michael McCarthy during the Connacht v Leinster game was awarded incorrectly. Therefore, the red card given on the basis of two yellow cards was rescinded and no suspension was imposed.

 

The Disciplinary Committee also considered a citing complaint, presumably from the Independent Citing Commissioner against McCarthy in the same game for striking an opponent with his head. McCarthy pleaded guilty to the offence, no doubt in the hope of some leniency given the initial yellow being incorrectly adjudged by the referee.

However he has been suspended for three weeks, with the suspension concluding at midnight on Sunday, October 26.

Serious questions must arise also regarding the matter of Leo Cullen's incident with Ian Keatley, whereby he struck Keatley with his elbow to the face as the young Connacht outhalf was passing him to join his celebrating. This instigated the melee which led to McCarthy's second yellow of the night and one for Rocky Elsom also.

How the Leinster captain escaped censure on the night and again after the review of the game by the citing commissioner is absolutely astounding, but yet not surprising as in the Halls of Lansdowne road there are always one set of rules for Connacht and another set for Leinster, Munster & Ulster especially when it comes to Heineken Cup time....


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