SCOTLAND forwards Ross Ford and Jonny Gray could be banned from Sunday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Australia after being cited for alleged foul play - by an independent official from Australia.
The two team-mates will appear at a disciplinary hearing in London this morning after being charged with committing the offence during Scotland’s win over Samoa last Saturday. The case will be heard by the independent judicial officer, English QC Christopher Quinlan, after it was called by the independent citing commissioner, Scott Nowland of Australia. The length of any ban would depend on how severe the offence was deemed to be.
An announcement on the official Rugby World Cup website said: “Ross Ford and Jonny Gray (Scotland) have been cited by independent Citing Commissioner Scott Nowland (Australia) for an alleged act of foul play contrary to Laws 10.4(e) and 10.4(j) during the Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B match between Samoa and Scotland at St James’ Park, Newcastle, on Saturday, 10 October. Law 10.4(e) deals with dangerous tackles and Law 10.4(j) deals with lifting tackles.”
Ford and Gray are expected to be accompanied by an official from Scottish Rugby, who declined to comment on the issue. The incident in question is understood to have come at a ruck, when first Gray then Ford moved in to try to clear away a Samoan player, openside flanker Jack Lam.
A spokesperson for World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, defended the citing procedure. “All appointments are made within a fully independent process and World Rugby is happy that the process is being applied in a fair and consistent manner.”
All appointments of citing commissioners for the pool games were made before the tournament started, and there seems to have been no concern about the possibility that a commissioner would examine a match that might include a future opponent of his own country. World Rugby is confident that all appointments are made on merit, and all citing commissioners are either practising judges, lawyers or former players.
Meanwhile, David Pocock of Australia has escaped with a warning from an independent citing commissioner from New Zealand. Steve Hinds issued the warning to the Wallabies forward for a breach of Law 10.4(a), which deals with punching or striking an opponent, during the match between Australia and Wales.
The warning is ruled to be equal to giving a player a yellow card, but there is a difference. Pocock needs two more warnings - or yellow cards during games - before he has to attend a hearing that could lead to a ban. He is free to play against Scotland in the last-eight match at Twickenham.
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