Horwill, 28, was cited for an incident after which Lions lock Alun Wyn Jones needed stitches in an eye. Horwill argued it was accidental and caused by a loss of balance.
The Lions were baffled as the TV recording shows no evidence of any loss of balance. The appeal is to be heard by judicial officer Graeme Mew, of Canada, after the Melbourne Test.
In the meantime, Horwill is permitted to continue playing. But it will be no help in trying to save the series to have this hanging over him.
“Given its duty to preserve player welfare at all levels of the game, the IRB is compelled to further examine acts of foul play which either potentially or in reality impact on the preservation of player welfare,†said an IRB spokesman.
“It is important for the IRB to ensure there is full confidence that priority is given to player welfare and the values of the game.â€
The IRB have taken such action before, notably when All Black flanker Adam Thomson’s one-week ban for stamping on Scotland’s Alasdair Strokosch last November was doubled.
The IRB are clearly concerned at the local leniency that is especially prevalent on Lions tours, most notoriously when nothing was done about Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu when their double spear tackle broke Brian O’Driscoll’s shoulder and put him out of the 2005 All Blacks series in the first two minutes of the first Test.
O’Driscoll described Horwill as “a lucky, lucky boy†this week. Another Wallaby, centre Nathan Grey, went unpunished after removing Richard Hill from the 2001 Lions series with an elbow to the head in the second Test in Melbourne.
Australia coach Robbie Deans is under enough pressure without this – and players he regards as central to his team’s cause stepping so far out of line as to be in a burger joint at nearly four in the morning.
Article source: http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/rugby-union/lions-spots-still-up-for-grabs-4489302.html
James Horwill faces a new inquiry on stamping
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