Leinster have reacted angrily to the decision by the board of directors of European Rugby Cup Ltd not to throw Stade Francais out of the Heineken Cup for fielding an ineligible player in the competition.

The ERC fined the French club £5,000 on foot of an objection by Leinster to Brian Lima's participation in the Leinster-Stade Francais game at Donnybrook in December, which Stade lost.

"We (Leinster) feel vindicated in that the player has been found to be ineligible," the honorary secretary of the Leinster Branch, Sandy Heffernan, said in a statement last night.

However, he went on: "In all the circumstances we are dismayed at the inappropriateness of the sanction imposed." The statement concluded by affirming that "Leinster will take advice and consider its position carefully over the next few days".