Eurosport - Thu, 22 Oct 15:43:00 2009
Leinster and Ireland flanker Shane Jennings has lost his appeal against a 12-week suspension for gouging.
Jennings (pictured) was handed the suspension for 'making contact with the eye area' of Nick Kennedy in Leinster's 12-9 Heineken Cup defeat by London Irish on October 9.
An independent committee in Dublin dismissed the appeal on Thursday after finding that Jennings had not demonstrated the original decision had been made in error or that it should be overturned or varied.
Jennings will resume playing on January 7, ruling him out of Ireland's autumn internationals against
The 28-year-old will also miss Leinster's next two rounds of the Heineken Cup - home and away fixtures against the Scarlets.
The European champions were dismayed when the original verdict - which imposed the entry point sanction for a low-end offence - was delivered eight days ago because of the lack of video evidence.
It was also thought his chances of having the suspension overturned or reduced would have improved with Kennedy's subsequent admission that he over-reacted to the first-half incident.
But Jennings, who has five caps, appears to have suffered from the International Rugby Board's crackdown on the offence.
Gouging hit the headlines during the summer when South Africa flanker Schalk Burger was banned for just eight weeks for making contact with the eye of the Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.
Comment 1 - 3 of 3
Steady on lads.
Firstly, there was no video evidence that the alleged incident even took place. Personally id be more worried by the soccer style theatrics of kennedy in seeking to get an opponent sent off.
If thats where the new zeal for punishments in rugby is heading then how long before players are diving around looking for penalties without even being touched.
Im all for decent regulation of foul play, but it has to be fair, and surely "innocent until proven guilty" is the first criterion for fairness.
Jennings was cited simply because of kennedys whinging, and kennedy subsequently admitted he had overreacted. The video was very inconclusive (and by that i mean you couldnt see a damn thing). Therefore jennings should get the benefit of the doubt.
He's been playing well and had a real shot at making the ireland squad for november. Instead he has to pay the price for kennedys dramatics.
Compare with Hayes and its a joke . Hayes was falling backwards and stampped in a forward direction to make contact with a players head . Seen Jennings incident loads of times on u tube , i have had a thumb in the eye a couple of times and the players reaction was not consistent with a thumb/finger in the eye .
Seems Ireland need Hayes a lot more than Jennings .
This is a correct decision. No room for this type of play.
The sooner everyone in the game realise this the better.
An example must be shown now,
Who wants their kids looking or learning this type of thuggery?
It started with the French, now it has spread.
Well done to the powers that be.
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