Heaslip cleared
Ireland No 8 Jamie Heaslip has been cleared of an allegation of eye-gouging brought by the Springboks.
Independent citing commissioner Douglas Hunt made the decision on Monday evening, after South Africa asked for special investigation into an incident involving Heaslip and flank Heinrich Brüssow in the first half of the Croke Park Test on Saturday. South Africa reportedly had no concrete evidence for Hunt to work with in his investigation.
The Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] said they were ‘very disappointed’ with the saga and lamented Heaslip’s name being mentioned in the media.
‘The Six Nations has confirmed to the Irish Rugby Football Union that none of a number of referrals made by South Africa against Ireland players has been upheld by the independent citing commissioner that was present at the game between Ireland and South Africa in Croke Park on Saturday 28 November,’ they said in a statement.
‘The Ireland management is, however, very disappointed that the name of an Ireland player was subsequently associated with eye-gouging in the media as a result of one of these unsubstantiated referrals.’
The IRFU also questioned the validity of the claims brought against Heaslip and others.
‘The Ireland management fully support and believe in the integrity of the citing process in place, but believe that any referrals in this process should be made only when they are material and substantial.’
December 1st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
@DEE DAH: They do build these homes. I have seen it for myself.
But i fully agree with your post. We do not need foreign aid.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Can’t expect better from the IRB. If the incident involved Bakkies, he would have been banished to the seventh hell. I don’t believe SA will ever get justice from the IRB, therefore, take it uppon yourselves.
The poor ref on Saturday was so scared that a rugby game might actually start up that he penalized everything and missed the areas where stiff arms and shoulder charges went in!
December 1st, 2009 at 1:10 pm
@RedLion:
No Video evidence.
Neutral Referee saw Nothing.
Neutral Linesman X 2, (Asst Refs) saw Nothing.
This issue is a mole-hill.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:12 pm
@Atreides: 75
Put your seatbelt on.
@RedLion: 96
Yes, you’re right but because there is no evidence he cannot be found guilty. Simple really.
You would not like to go to jail for drunk driving just because somebody claimed that you were drunk while driving you car. You’d want them to provide evidence.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:13 pm
@Just Another Paddy: Well why didn’t you ask for the incident to be refered? Simon Shaw ran at full speed and dived knees first into FDP’s back a lot like Earls on saturday….Bekker was standing still and Wallace was grabing on to him while lying on the floor …basically begging for Bekker to retaliate, and basically milking a penalty. Nothing like the shaw incident.
The reason why it was complained about weeks later was because of the Lions supporters continues hammering on about the Boks being dirty players.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:16 pm
@nama1:
Stop making sense nama1.
You will ruin the reputation of your Nation. (pertaining to Rugby matters that is).
December 1st, 2009 at 1:16 pm
@Karoolander:
Next week I will rant about religion and if the Irish situation hasn’t died down I am gonna bring Catholic priests and their prediliction for young tender cuts of lamb into it.
And before you start Bokpoot I was raised a Catholic so I am qualified to say whatever I want.
I might even have a crack at Rhema and their famous wife swapping orgies. Ok I made that one up! But I have my suspiscions.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:16 pm
@cane:
hmmm, then who fingered Brüssow? Was it perhaps Burger the convicted fave mugger? Did we finger our own players like the time when Krige knocked Mr. Petoors lights out in a test match.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
“Simon Shaw ran at full speed and dived knees first into FDP’s back a lot like Earls on saturday”
Well firstly Earls clealry lands on FDP in a diving motion for the ball. He was late,no doubt put penalise this and rugby will turn into a chorus of whistles…..
“basically begging for Bekker to retaliate, and basically milking a penalty.”
You cannot be serious. Watch it again. It is your average ruck with nothing ore than the usual jostling. Becker stands up, then jumps back down on Wallace, who’s back is turned….Fair enough if Wallace stands up and Becker clouts him face to face…..At least that’s what any other man might have done in the situation…..
December 1st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
@RedLion:
That is a horrible image the entire Bok squad in the shower fingering each other.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:20 pm
@DEE DAH: sic man … only Aussie league players do such things to each other … oh that is true.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
anyway
RL out!
December 1st, 2009 at 1:22 pm
RL will return posting more stories about the Lions build up to the S14.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:23 pm
@Just Another Paddy: Wallace is far to wily for that….did the same for the lions….
December 1st, 2009 at 1:25 pm
@REDLION (96.) Heaslip plays for Leinster not Ulster. Can you get anything right?
December 1st, 2009 at 1:25 pm
@Just Another Paddy: What Earl was going for is a matter of opinion, it wasn’t like he and FDP dived together. FDP was lying on the ground and earl dived on top of him?
December 1st, 2009 at 1:37 pm
@RedLion: Lol! Well against France, Burger looked like he was trying to rip Brussow’s head off. He wants HIS jersey back you see…….
December 1st, 2009 at 1:45 pm
@Just Another Paddy: 109
“Well firstly Earls clealry lands on FDP in a diving motion for the ball. He was late,no doubt put penalise this and rugby will turn into a chorus of whistles…..”
Why don’t we stop penalising players for late tackles in the field of play then also?
Maybe players will stop doing it once they realise that referees will punnish them with a penalty on the halfway line.
I just hate this diving onto a player after he scored a try or grounded the ball in his own area. Players can get seriously hurt (break ribs etc) and something must be done to deter players from doing it.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:00 pm
The poor reffing and the attitude of the IRB has made this year less then pleasant and I have lost respect for the body as a whole.
They need to address the quality of the NH refs! We (SA) have 4 international quality refs where England has only 2, France 1, Ireland 1, Wales 1. And they are all shite, I mean look at Nigel ‘looks like Shane Williams dad” Owens who missed a tackle in the air on Habana and the seconds later waved off a spear tackle on the same player. Poor. He then blows a high tackle made by Steyn when the ball was on the Irish idiots head!
The European rugby community really pisses me off, they act so high and mighty and think there all that. But the facts remain that in our “3rd world nation’ we are able to breed champions from two different generations. Where as they sit on the rich rugby boards and dictate their vision for rugby that sees the SH get the short end of the stick. They know very little about winning rugby and when they do, it’s because they have SH coaches halping them (Gatlin, Smal).
They piss me off!
December 1st, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Lads I take your word’s for it…..Earls was out of line…
The thing that annoys me is this, their dirtier than us craic…..Evry team has “dirty” players. To say Ireland or the boks were by far the nore thuggish on saturday is as ridiculous as it is pointless…..
I really can’t understand the animosity being billed up between the two nations or this so called rivalry. O.k fair enough on the pitch but not off it…..It’s been taken too far the last couple of weeks as evinced by the majority of comments above….
December 1st, 2009 at 2:06 pm
@Just Another Paddy: The Irish are a funny bunch to be acting self rightous, don’t you think? The Irish have been lucky on two occasions against the boks, both because of poor reffing, this game included.
In reality this game (tour) ment nothing and the boks won every game they needed to in order to win the trophies this year.
We never do well on tour as it is always a BEE sideshow, and we never have the right backup players in the squad, last years tour excluded.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:20 pm
@Just Another Paddy: 120
“It’s been taken too far the last couple of weeks”
Agree. Some comments were just over the top, from both sides. I don’t think it was necessary. The animosity stops when players leave the field. Then we are friends again.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:47 pm
@Atreides: Don’t forget Straw Man…
December 1st, 2009 at 2:51 pm
In the interest of balance from an Irish point of view – The ref ans assitants also missed O’Callaghan’s attempted sly dig on Schalk Burger’s face during a ruck.
Now that’s objectivity.
They should have all had a beer after the test at the weekend. I’m sure they’d have all got on fine. Both teams are the best in their respective hemispheres after all…champions altogether.
Not after game 1 of a 3 game series, like Smit suggested was a good idea during the Lions…if ever there was evidence of Saffers creating the supposed bad blood that feeds into your own insecurities, thus hopefully delivering the test result in Dublin then that was it. That, and book sales of course.
I mean honestly, would you lot go for a beer after the first battle, or when the war is over? I certainly wouldn’t.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:13 pm
@Irish not British:
When it comes to beer I would have one with anybody at anytime. I would even drink with Ultra Vires and Tackler and by the end of the evening I would be professing my undying love to them and calling them my best mates.
Of course then I would blow tacklers brains out and feed his carcass to my pit bull. Such is life with us uneducated uncouth yokels in africa, thats why Tackler left.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:24 pm
@Breakdown Boy:
If this tour means nothing, then why bother?
December 1st, 2009 at 4:05 pm
@sideline: Lol, a regular little know-it-all huh? Haha, get a grip bro.
December 1st, 2009 at 5:04 pm
If I was wanting a fight, I’d go blogging on an Irish website..
December 1st, 2009 at 5:35 pm
@Irish not British:
Personally I’d go for a beer anytime. Why go out for beers once when you can get on the piss three times? Makes sense to me
December 1st, 2009 at 5:50 pm
@Irish not British:
I suppose it depends on who’s paying.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:13 pm
@Rich1 If it was a Windhoek I’d have gone. If it was that Castle muck I’d have ignored the invite. Maybe the Lions players wary of interrupting the prayer meeting. The Boks seem to like their god a lot. I’ve had invites like that before, you think you’re going for a beer and then some ***** freak talks religion at you for half an hour.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I’d go for a beer before the battle even.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:45 pm
@Paddylock:
Yes, we’ve all heard about your Irish priests.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:48 pm
@Paddylock: LOL that is a very funny post Paddy!
Very good point, a lot of the Boks do gush on about Christianity, and Ive noticed lots of rugby players of all nationalities cross themselves and look at heaven after scoring a try or something.
Suppose it has some link with continuing ethos of rugby, the tradition etc and that rugby is popular in countries more Christian (or overtly Christian)?
I agree, I wouldn’t have gone for a Castle – and as they were the sponsors it might’ve been the tipple.
Cant believe the Irish turned down a drink though! Ceol agus ol agus craic and all that
December 1st, 2009 at 7:10 pm
None of the Irish players are into god. Andrew Trimble was but he’s not in the squad anymore.
Afrikaners seem to be big into their religion and I think that scares the Europeans (with the exception of Jason Robinson). Hansie Cronje and Joost liked their god too. One of them was corrupt and the other did drugs with a hooker. God didn’t like them obviously.
I don’t understand god at all anyway. Why would god prefer Bakkies Botha to, say, Paul O’Connell? Because Bakkies prays to god and Paul doesn’t? Is god really that insecure? The poor chap.
I do know a number of the Irish team and the Lions and they couldn’t have been more complimentary about Smit, Matfield and Habana in particular after the series. They went for plenty of beers with them.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Heaslip was trying to stop Brussouw from reading the notes in his pocket from Smal revealing the prowess of matfield and the bok lineout!
Give it up Boks, go and rest, you are a tired bunch after a season far too long. A great season though, congrats!
December 1st, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I think this is being blown out of proportion. If Heinrich is reeally sure that he was gouged, then Heaslip should be given the mandatory 2-year ban and everyone will be happy.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:33 pm
@Paddylock:
Fair call. After their experiences with catholic priests when they were kids, I wouldn’t blame the Irish players from doing a runner from any form of religous meeting.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:37 pm
@anylayman:
Absolutely. He’s a religous man, why would he lie? Unlike those Irish heathens…
December 1st, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Anyone fancy a pint?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:41 pm
@rich1: not cool to joke about these things buddy.think about those victims who had their lives destroyed by this vile abuse of power.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Any more King Billy & famine songs today, Valkyrie, you f*ckw1t?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:50 pm
@Valkyrie:
Fair enough – i forgot it’s quite a sensitive topic over there at the moment.
On the rugby side of things though, all problems can be solved with beer. Even if it is only Castle
December 1st, 2009 at 7:58 pm
@rich1: castle not my favourite as well!
December 1st, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Heinrich never even knew he was in France for the test match against the French … he admitted to it. How the fek does a citing commissioner take him seriously.
It’s time Saffas thought about what they say!!!!!!!
December 1st, 2009 at 8:27 pm
@kevin w:
He played well there though, a lot better than the guys who did know where they were, so maybe he’s onto something
December 1st, 2009 at 9:04 pm
regarding this artical i think double standards live in Ireland. They cry like kids at everything. Living there, you also realize how many people “think” they understand the game of rugby, but actually they dont know the rules very well at all. Go into a pub in Ireland and watch a game with them and you can only roll your eyes!
Burger might play hard, but he is not a dirty player. the Lions incident was a rarity. The media in ireland covered the papers; and in one degree(irish people fall for the stupid reporters,WHO in their own right,barely know the game and write so much rubbish you can tell). So the media practically “told” them to Boo Burger on Saturday. So everyone there still thinks Burger eye gouged Fitsy when Fitsy himself said Burger did not. There was zero news that said it was confirmed by the C.C. that he did not eye gouge. You can be sure Ireland will keep Heaslipsies eye gouging article as small as possible in the papers, if, in it at all. Double standards. The coach does not want to be tarnished with such things, well coach sir, don’t be disappointed with the media, be disappointed with your players. O’Dris-colly is certainly not the cleanest player either. But that would never be said on this emerald island!
December 1st, 2009 at 9:43 pm
@ Greenies: What are you on about? Both sides have the opportunity to draw incidents to the citing commissioner after the game. Ireland ‘who cry like kids at everything’ didn’t seek to have anyone cited. Not JPP nor Bekker. South Africa tried to cite a number of players and named Heaslip without any evidence to support their charge. Just before the Lions tour Alan Quinlan gouged Leo Cullen in the Heinken Cup Final and the public and the authorities were unanimous that he should be banned. He was banned for 12 weeks and missed the Lions tour.
Where did Fitzgerald say that Burger did not gouge him? Fitzgerald was furious after the game and said that Burger should have been red. Burger was found guilty of gouging. The technical term for gouging is ‘reckless contact with the face’. Similarly, Shane Jennings who gouged Nick Kennedy in a recent Heineken game (although that seemed a lot milder than Burger’s offence) was banned for 12 weeks. Gouging is the most disgusting of rugby crimes and it deserves harsh punishment. Burger wasn’t booed until he booted the ball into the crowd and the same crowd showed the upmost respect for Morne Steyn and Pienaar when they were kicking. Ask yourself this: If Paul O’Connell had gouged Bryan Habana in this weekend’s match, was banned and then played in Loftus against the Boks, scored and then kicked the ball into the crowd do you think he wouldn’t have been booed?
Heaslip’s alleged eye-gouging won’t receive as much coverage in Ireland simply because not only was he not found guilty but because it was deemed he didn’t even have a case to answer. There’s absolutely no evidence of any eye gouging. The allegation has received plenty of coverage which will die out now. If you think someone somewhere is hiding evidence of the eye gouging then you’re demented. There were cameras from RTE and BBC at the game. They would have shown any foul play, the same way they pinged Quinlan over and over again and the BBC have absolutely no reason to hide evidence. Nor do RTE for that matter.
Double standards? You must be joking. Burger was guilty. Quinlan was guilty. Heaslip didn’t even have a case to answer.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:17 pm
These are the same Irish that fooked us to give the Chokers the 2011 RWC.
Filthy four leaf clover sucking *****.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:21 pm
@Jondood: A shamrock only has three leaves.