'The reddest of red cards' missed by Wayne Barnes is belatedly punished as Toulouse skipper Marchand banned for Champions Cup final
Foul play described as the reddest of red cards by former Lions captains Brian OâDriscoll and Sam Warburton has led to cited Toulouse skipper Julien Marchand copping a four-match ban that has ruled him out of next weekâs Heineken Champions Cup final versus La Rochelle at Twickenham. OâDriscoll and Warburton were incensed in their BT Sport post-game TV review that the second-half shoulder by Marchand to the head of Bordeauxâs Romain Buros went unpunished during the game.
âThat is the reddest of red cards,â fumed OâDriscoll after the foul play had escaped the attentions of referee Wayne Barnes and his team of officials. âHe almost has to spring to get the collision shoulder to the impact point. There is no bend of the body from Buros. He is fully straight and Marchand has hit high. For me, would it have been the difference in changing the game? Potentially. Itâs still only a five-point game.â
Warburton added at the time: âAnother point worth mentioning is there was no wrap at all, it was pure tuck of the right arm. There is nothing going in his favour in that example. Like you say, it is the reddest of reds.â
The collision didnât escape the attention of the match citing commissioner, Ed Kenny, and a disciplinary hearing has now ruled Marchand out of the European final. He hasnât played since the May 1 semi-final in Toulouse and will only be free to play again on May 31.
He already missed last weekendâs Top 14 defeat at Toulon and will be absent from other league games versus Bayonne and Clermont, along with the European final on May 22, before being allowed to line out again.
"Look at football â anyone would watch Barcelona because of Messi and rugby needs superstar players playing at a different level than everybody else for us to go and watch"
â Brian O'Driscoll tells @heagneyl ??? how superstars are stepping up to the platehttps://t.co/LdlzKFcg5w
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A media release outlining the disciplinary hearing outcome read: âAn independent disciplinary committee comprising Simon Thomas (Wales, chair), Gareth Graham (England) and Antony Wheat (Ireland) considered video imagery of the incident and heard submissions from Marchand, who did not accept the charge, from the playerâs legal representative Neil Robertson, from Dr Johan Merbalh of the University of Toulon, from Toulouse club president Didier Lacroix, from Toulouse head coach Ugo Mola, and from EPCR disciplinary officer Liam McTiernan.
âThe committee upheld the citing complaint, finding that Marchand had made contact with Burosâ head in a dangerous manner that warranted a red card. It then determined that the offence was at the mid-range of World Rugbyâs sanctions and six weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.
âThere were no aggravating factors and taking into account the playerâs clear disciplinary record and good conduct at the hearing, the committee reduced the sanction by two weeks before imposing a four-week suspension. Marchand is free to play on Monday, May 31.â
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