By Sarah Tunney
January 19 2005

Colin Noon, the Leicester Tigers prop who was on loan to Rotherham earlier on this season, has had his appeal for the six month ban overturned.

"I played the ball back and the ruck formed and there were people on top of me and over the top of me and then the ball disappeared through the backs and was halfway across the pitch"

"So the ball has gone. Most people had got up off me and there were a couple of people still laying around the ruck area where I had laid the ball back. The first thing that happened was that someone was trying to stick their thumbs in my eye."

"I managed to stop that and get the hands away then the next thing I knew the same chap was standing up while I was still on my back on the floor. He got up and stamped on my forehead basically"

This is Matt Longs encounter of the afternoon back in October 2004, when during the away game against Rotherham, he received horrific facial injuries that will leave him with permanent scarring. It was only when Long looked in the mirror at the blood, swelling, bruising and 35 stitches that he realised he had been just half a centimetre away from a stud in the eye.

A disciplinary hearing was called back in November. Noon was found guilty and although could appeal, was suspended from playing rugby for six months. However, he waited until the very last day to appeal against his suspension when he attempted to cast doubt on the evidence.

The Leicester prop, who was on loan to Rotherham, had his appeal rejected last night in front of the RFU panel. The suspension has not been increased, however, and will run from January 18th.