LEINSTER PROP Cian Healy will be able to play for Leinster in their Champions Cup opener against Racing 92 this coming weekend after his red card was overturned by a URC disciplinary panel.
Healy (35) was given his marching orders in Friday’s URC win over Ulster for a tackle on hooker Tom Stewart.
The challenge left the Ulster player bloodied
Healy did lower his height for the tackle and a URC disciplinary panel has ruled there was sufficient mitigation to lower Healy’s penalty to a yellow card offence.
A URC statement read: “After an act of foul play against Ulster player No 2 (Tom Stewart), referee Christophe Ridley showed the player a red card in the 20th minute of the game under Law 9.13 – A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders.
🚨 Disciplinary Decision 🚨
📝 Cian Healy - Leinster Rugby#BKTURC #URC— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) December 7, 2022
The statement also said: “Upon review of the incident, the panel overseeing the disciplinary process – Robert Milligan KC (Chair, Scotland), Nigel Williams (Wales), Simon Thomas (Wales) – deemed that there were sufficient mitigating factors to reduce the red card to a yellow card. Therefore, the red card was not upheld and the player can return to play effectively immediately.”
Leinster return to action for the first time since losing the Champions Cup final against La Rochelle last May/ The game against Racing will take place on Saturday, December 10th.
Viewers in Ireland and the UK will be able to watch the game on BT Sport 1.
Further team news for both sides will be released during the week.
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