Alan Quinlan’s hopes of touring with the Lions are in doubt after he was caught on camera apparently eye-gouging Leinster captain Leo Cullen in today’s Heineken Cup semi-final.
Quinlan, the veteran Munster flanker, was a surprise inclusion in Ian McGeechan’s 37-man squad and now faces an anxious wait to see whether the independent citing officer takes any action.
Recent history, with cases involving Dylan Hartley and Neil Best, suggests that, if Quinlan is cited and subsequently found guilty, he could face a suspension that stretches into months.
Neither Paul O’Connell, the Munster and Lions captain, nor Leinster coach Michael Cheika saw the incident in a ferocious game at Croke Park. But both provided positive character references for Quinlan.
“Quinny isn’t that type of guy,” said O’Connell. “He is a tough player. It is the one thing he hasn’t got in his record book. If it looked bad, I am sure there was nothing in it.”
After watching his side book their first Heineken Cup final appearance with a 25-6 victory, Cheika added: “Quinlan is a good operator and a good guy and I have a lot of respect for him.
“He is a hard guy. That is the battle. Between Munster and Leinster it is a war and you have to be as aggressive as you possibly can. I can’t see him doing it.”
