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Welsh Rugby Union defends plans to halve number of regions
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RFU statement: Cited Maro Itoje 'free to play with immediate effect'
By Liam Heagney
Fears that Maro Itoje could miss a massive chunk of the Gallagher Premiership title run-in with Saracens after his citing following last Friday’s head contact with Bath’s Alfie Barbeary have proven unfounded as he has been cleared to play with immediate effect.
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The 29-year-old was yellow-carded for his 29th-minute collision at The Rec, but he was subsequently cited and had to appear at a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday.
The decision from that meeting has now emerged and with the on-field decision of referee Luke Pearce upheld, Itoje will be available for his team’s remaining regular-season matches, the May 11 trip to Bristol followed by the May 18 home game versus Sale.
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Defending champions Saracens are currently in second place but are not yet guaranteed qualification for the knockouts due to the congested nature of this season’s Premiership play-off race where just four points separate the Londoners from sixth-place Sale.
An RFU statement read: “Maro Itoje (Saracens) appeared before an independent disciplinary panel on Tuesday, April 30, chaired by Philip Evans KC sitting with Becky Essex and Martyn Wood.
“Itoje was cited for dangerous tackling, contrary to World Rugby law 9.13, during a game against Bath on April 26. The incident occurred in the 29th minute of the first half. The citing was dismissed by the panel and Itoje is free to play with immediate effect.”
Panel chair Evans said: “The panel heard and considered evidence from Maro Itoje and the Bath player and were able to examine the footage of the incident many times and from many different angles.
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“In particular, the panel watched the footage from the rear view of Itoje which, when considered alongside the rest of the footage, demonstrated it was more likely than not that contact was not initially with the head or simultaneously with the head and the body.
“Instead, contact with the head appears to come later and can properly be described as more glancing than direct in nature.
“In all of the circumstances, the panel did not conclude that a high degree of danger was created and therefore the on-field decision stands. The player is free to play with immediate effect.”
Itoje had never been red-carded in his long career with Saracens, England, and the British and Irish Lions, and during last Friday’s game referee Pearce quickly decided that the tackle by the second row was only a yellow card offence.
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Speaking to his TMO, the referee was heard on live TV saying: “It is head-on-head contact. It is foul play because 4 is upright. It’s not a flush… It’s off his shoulder and then a bit of contact with his head so it’s high danger, mitigation, yellow… it’s not flush, that’s why it’s yellow.”
