The independent disciplinary panel which handed French lock Pascal Papé a ten week ban yesterday for kneeing Jamie Heaslip in the back did so after decreeing that the yellow card which Wayne Barnes brandished 52nd minute should have been a red card.
According to the official RBS Six Nations statement yesterday the disciplinary committee, chaired by Rod McKenzie (Scotland) along with Bill Dunlop (Scotland) and Ian Unsworth QC (England), "having heard from the player and his representatives and viewed various TV angles of the incident, determined that Pascal Papé had committed an act of foul play which merited a red card rather than the on-field yellow card given by the match officials".
Much consolation
None of this will be of much consolation to
Ireland
, who therefore should have been playing against 14 men for the last 28 minutes of the match rather than for ten minutes, nor to Heaslip, who has been sidelined for an estimated four weeks after sustained three cracked vertebrae in the incident.
Papé did convey an apology to Heaslip through Twitter, which the Irish number eight accepted through the same medium, and as a consequence of this the French lock had his suspension reduced from 15 to ten weeks.
The disciplinary committee decided that the offence “should be categorised at the top end of World Rugby’s scale of seriousness and set an entry point of a 15-week suspension. It noted further the absence of aggravating factors and the existence of certain mitigating factors, including the player’s admission of foul play and his expressions of remorse for what had occurred and the injury sustained by his opponent, in applying a five week (33 per cent) reduction from the entry point.”
The French lock had been cited under World Rugby’s Law 10.4(a) ‘Punching or striking’, which states that “A player must not strike an opponent with the fist or arm, including the elbow, shoulder, head or knee(s).” The recommended suspension varies from four to 52 weeks.
Heathrow hotel
The disciplinary hearing had convened on Wednesday in a Heathrow hotel, and had been adjourned overnight to further deliberate their decision, having heard representations by and on behalf of the player and viewed TV replays of the incident.
So it is that Papé's farewell Six Nations has been prematurely cut short and in manner which he will forever regret. The 34-year-old Papé, who won his 59th cap against Ireland and is a former French captain, had stated that this would be the last Six Nations of his career.
He does have the right to appeal.
Papé has been replaced in the French squad which is preparing for their next match against Wales by Sébastien Vahaamahina and he will also miss much of the remaining Top 14 campaign with Stade Francais.
A 15-week ban would have ended Pape’s season but the 34-year-old will now be available for the final three weekends of Top 14 regular season games for a Stade side presently sharing top spot with Toulon and Clermont.
The first game he would be eligible for is the Paris derby meeting with Johnny Sexton’s Racing Metro on Saturday May 9th.
