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Mike Brown's Harlequins career is over as appeal fails
By Liam Heagney
The Harlequins career of Mike Brown is over after the ex-England full-back failed in his appeal to get a reduction in the six-match ban he was given for a red-carded stamp earlier this month. Brown was sent off against Wasps on May 9 for landing his boot on the head of Tommy Taylor and the suspension he was given ended his 17-year stay at Quins as the club had only a maximum of six games remaining in their season if they went all the way to the Gallagher Premiership final.
Brown would have hoped a successful appeal would have brought a reduced suspension, freeing him to appear again for Harlequins prior to his two-year deal at Newcastle. However, his hopes of a reprieve were dashed and an RFU statement on his appeal read: "Harlequins' Mike Brown attended an online disciplinary appeal hearing last night [Wednesday] in front of an independent disciplinary panel comprising Richard Whittam QC (chair), with Daniel White and Dr Julian Morris.
"Brown was appealing his six-match suspension, which was given for stamping or trampling contrary to World Rugby law 9.12.
"At the original disciplinary hearing on May 11, Brown accepted the charge against him and was given the suspension by an independent panel of Matthew Weaver (chair), Rob Vickerman and Mitch Read. Full details can be found in the judgment here.
"An independent panel statement following last night's hearing read: 'The appeal was dismissed. The appeal panel did not accept the submissions that the disciplinary panel had come to a decision to which no reasonable body could have come, particularly bearing in mind that the burden is on the player to establish on the balance of probabilities that no reasonable disciplinary panel could have come to the same conclusion. The original sanction stands'."
The original six-game ban seemed to have been the best outcome that could have been wished for by Brown, given the stamp was categorised as a top-end offence. However, Harlequins announced on May 20 that it was their intention to appeal the suspension.
If Brown was to successfully have his sanction reduced, it needed the foul play to be reclassified as a middle-end offence where the pattern of punishment this season at hearings had been for a six-game entry point to be reduced to a three-match ban once the 50 per cent mitigation is applied. However, the appeal committee maintained that the offence belonged in the top-end category, resulting in Brown's attempt to get a reduction being unsuccessful.
- For RFU regulation 19 please click here. Information relating to appeals against a decision of an RFU disciplinary panel can be found in section 19.12.
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Latest Comments
SCW really dislikes Eddie, doesn't he?
His words in 2019 before the RWC final that he now says should have resulted in Eddie's firing:
"Was Saturday’s sensational World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand England’s greatest ever performance? Yes, unquestionably, would be my answer."
So let's fire the coach one game later? Duh!
Go to commentsIreland have every right to back themselves for a win. But the key variable has little to do with recent record etc.
The reality is that Ireland are a settled team with tons of continuity, an established style, and a good depth chart, whereas NZ are fundamentally rebuilding. The questions are all about what Razor is doing and how far along he is in that program.
NZ are very close to really clicking. Against England all of the chatter is about how England could have closed out a win, but failed to do so. This has obscured the observation that NZ were by far the more creative and effective in attack, beyond the 3-1 try differential and disallowed tries. They gave away a lot of unnecessary penalties, and made many simple errors (including knock-ons and loose kicks). Those things are very fixable, and when they do so we are once again going to be staring at a formidable NZ team.
Last week we heard the England fans talking confidently about their chances against NZ, but England did not end up looking like the better team on the field or the scoreboard. The England defense was impressive enough, but still could not stop the tries.
Ireland certainly has a better chance, of course, but NZ is improving fast, and I would not be surprised at a convincing All Black win this week. It may turn on whether NZ can cut out the simple mistakes.
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