Justin Tipuric has received a three-week suspension following his yellow card in the recent RaboDirect PRO12 win over Munster.
Tipuric was cited by the independent Citing Commissioner at the match , Eddie Walsh, for a dangerous “tip” tackle, contrary to Law 10.4 (j), in the 51stminute of the Munster v Ospreys match.
The incident, for which the player had been yellow-carded by the Referee on the advice of his Assistant Referee, was also considered by an independent RaboDirect PRO12 Disciplinary Committee to have warranted a red card and they upheld the citing.
Having weighed up the video evidence and listened to the player’s explanation the Committee considered the offence to be at the low end of the IRB scale of offending and, in imposing the suspension, the Committee recognised the player’s helpful attitude at the hearing and also that the player’s Region had with-held him from last weekend’s match against Exeter Chiefs.
Justin Tipuric is free to resume playing on 31stOctober 2011 and has the right of appeal.
Ospreys Chief Operations Officer, Andrew Hore, commented:
“We are satisfied with the way the citing was dealt with, and the manner in which the hearing was held, and believe that the whole experience is a justification of the decision to introduce independent disciplinary procedures.”
Appearing before the same Disciplinary Committee, BJ Botha, Munster tighthead prop, was cleared of foul play having been cited by the independent Citing Commissioner at the match between Munster and the Ospreys on 8 October 2011 for striking an opponent with the head, contrary to Law 10.4 (a).
The Committee, chaired by Paul Minto (Scotland), assisted by Rob Flockhart (Scotland) and Marco Cordelli (Italy), considered the video evidence and listened to the player’s explanation of the incident and found that, on the balance of probabilities, the incident that was cited was not an act of foul play under Law 10.4 (a). The Committee was not satisfied that the citing complaint could be upheld.
There will be no further comment on these issues from Ospreys Rugby