Flannery appears to aim kick at Palisson

Ireland's Jerry Flannery will miss the rest of the Six Nations after receiving a six-week ban for kicking France's Alexis Palisson in last weekend's game.

The Ireland hooker received the ban after attending a disciplinary hearing in Dublin on Wednesday.

The Munster player had been cited for "an alleged kick" on Palisson even though referee Wayne Barnes merely awarded a penalty after the incident.

Flannery has the option of appealing against the ban.

Responding to news of Flannery's ban, the IRFU said the Irish management would "wait to review the written judgement before considering any further possible action".

The six-week ban means that Ulster hooker Rory Best is now in line to start for Ireland in the remainder of the Six Nations.

Flannery, who pleaded guilty and acknowledged the offence deserved a red card, has been banned until 29 March, ruling him out of Ireland's fixtures against England, Wales and Scotland.

An independent disciplinary panel found the offence, which forced Palisson from the field with a dead leg, had been reckless rather than deliberate.

606: DEBATE Credit to JF for pleading guilty. That's a relative rarity in this day and age John

Ireland's next match is away to England on 27 February.

The minimum suspension for the offence is four weeks but the mid-range sanction for the offence is an eight to 12-week ban, which can be extended to a possible year.

Best had been expected to miss the entire season after undergoing surgery on a neck injury last summer but recently returned to club action in Ireland before turning out for Ireland Wolfhounds against Scotland A at Ravenhill.

Best replaced Flannery during the second half of Saturday's game in Paris, as he had done in Ireland's Six Nations opener against Italy in Dublin seven days earlier.

Referee Barnes had consulted his touch judge Stuart Terheege, who believed the challenge to be a 'shoulder charge' and Flannery escaped a potential red card.

France's dominant display ended defending champions Ireland's hopes of back-to-back grand slams.

Flannery's suspension currently expires in time for him to play in Munster's Magners League game against Leinster on the first weekend of April.

Munster then tackle Northampton in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals at Thomond Park on 10 April.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version