John Hayes

GERRY THORNLEY Rugby correspondent
JOHN HAYES, along with his Munster advisors and solicitor Donal Spring, will await the full written report from the IRFU disciplinary panel which yesterday suspended Ireland’s most-capped tighthead for six weeks before deciding whether to appeal the decision.

Hayes was red-carded for the first time in his career in last Saturday’s Magners League game at the RDS for stamping on Leinster’s Cian Healy.

Hayes was also accompanied at yesterday’s hearing in the Ulster Branch offices at Ravenhill by the Munster manager, Shaun Payne, who revealed last night that they were disappointed with the severity of the ban.

This was because the disciplinary panel accepted Hayes’ stamp on Healy was not deliberate, yet deemed the offence to be at the higher end of the IRB recommended sanctions, nine-plus weeks, rather than the lower end (two weeks) or mid-range (five weeks), before taking into account Hayes’ disciplinary record and reducing the ban to six weeks.

Munster were resigned to being without their first-choice tighthead – who has started their last 67 Heineken Cup games in a row – for their opening games away to Northampton on Saturday and at home to Treviso the following Saturday. And those of a more cynical bent might note that the six-week ban conveniently ends on Saturday, November 14th – a day before Ireland’s first autumn international, against Australia at Croke Park.

However, while Declan Kidney and the Irish management might be relieved at that, they will be conscious the 36-year-old will not have played for six weeks.

The IRFU panel consisted of Hugh Logan (chair), Stephen Hilditch and Neil Jackson.

In a statement, the union said: “Having studied the match footage and heard all available evidence, the disciplinary panel confirmed that the offence constituted a high-end entry level in terms of sanctions. Having also considered all mitigating factors, the panel imposed a six-week suspension from the date of the offence on Saturday, October 3rd, up to and including Saturday, November 14th.”

In response, the Munster Branch issued a statement through Payne in which he said: “John regrets the incident happened at all. He has had a long and unblemished professional rugby career spanning 12 years and would not be regarded by anyone, including opponents, as being a dirty player. He is very disappointed with the sanction, given the committee accepted the action wasn’t intentional yet decided the entry point for the offence to be at the higher range, the nine weeks reduced to six in mitigation.”

While Hayes clearly stamped on the prone Healy at the bottom of a Munster maul in the 55th minute of the match, video evidence shows Hayes was not looking down when he committed the offence. That is why, most likely, the panel accepted his actions were not deliberate. All in all, given this, it would be surprising if there were not an appeal.

Now, bearing this in mind, surely he knew without looking down that there was something under his foot and while it cannot be proven whether it was deliberate or not, he cannot expect his punishment to be reduced on appeal and if it is, how does he face Cian Healy and the other Leinster players in the Ireland dressing room in November?

Ah these things happen and are in the heat of the moment and then forgotted about. Sure Cullen and Quinlan were chatting away after the 'gouging' in last season's semi.