Munster and Ireland prop John Hayes has had one week knocked off his suspension for stamping on Leinster counterpart Cian Healy during the 30-0 Magners League defeat at the RDS on October 3rd.
Hayes was initially banned for six weeks from the date of the offence up to and including Saturday November 14th, but will now be available from the preceding Sunday.
Little has changed then for the 36-year-old.The original ban meant he would be without game-time heading into the first November international against Australia on Sunday 15th and that remains the case, given that the last provincial game before Ireland duty is against Ulster on October 31st.
Bruff are scheduled to take on Belfast Harlequins on Saturday 14th and Hayes would be eligible to feature in that ahead of returning to the Ireland squad and preparing for the matches against Fiji (Nov 21st) and South Africa (Nov 28th).
The decision was made by an IRFU appeals committee chaired by Billy Glynn, who was assisted Leo Galvin and George Spotswood, and was based on Hayes’s exemplary disciplinary record.
Hayes was never sent off in his career prior to the 54th minute dismissal that was called for by the linesman after he kicked out Healy, who was attempting to pull a maul down.
