LEINSTER WING FERGUS McFadden has been cited after an alleged head-butt on Ulster’s Sean Reidy during the first-half of Leinster’s 14-13 loss in the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.
Despite a TMO review of the 13th-minute incident, referee George Clancy awarded just a penalty against Leinster while warning the veteran back.
McFadden, who later scored a try to give Leinster the lead, has been cited under Law 9.12 and will face a disciplinary committee through video conference on Wednesday.
If found guilty, McFadden would miss out on Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup final against Saracens as he could face a suspension ranging from four weeks at the low end entry point, with medium and top end offences meriting upwards of 10 and 16-week bans respectively.
"I'm alright, but I got a headbutt in the face!"
— eir Sport (@eirSport) April 27, 2019
Ulster No 8 Sean Reidy is unhappy with referee George Clancy's decison not to show a card to Leinster's Fergus McFadden following an inconclusive TMO.
#ULSvLEI #GuinnessPRO14 pic.twitter.com/ElGghjpnJA
However, disciplinary committees frequently halve the suspensions they dole out when taking ‘mitigating factors’ into account.
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No arguments really
Think he’s going to deservedly miss the rest of the season with this. Low end is four weeks and the good behaviour won’t come into it because of his previous bans, one of which was also against a fellow Irish international colleague.
@Jim Demps: he will defo get a ban, but who knows for how long. The citing commission is abit of a lottery
@Jim Demps: I’ve seen 1 and 2 weeks handed out for punching/headbutts…
@Rudiger McMonihan: yes you have but with mitigating circumstances, pleads and good behaviour. You can scratch the good behaviour for McFadden, he’s got two bans in the last 3 years – 1 for stamping. It’s off the ball which puts the intent as malicious, he can’t argue accidental for this. The one thing he can do is plead guilty and that would definitely help his case. Hard to know what kind of ban will come out of it, as Dave said it can be a bit of a lottery but it’s hard to see them halving any ban handed out.
Jim’s only loving the chance he’ll miss the run in.
@Jim Demps: he does have the fact that there is no good angle to show what he did and why he did it. Just because everyone knows he threw the head there’s no evidence that it connected.
@Chris Mc: there’s the evidence from Reidy that’ll be taken into consideration plus the account from the linesman which will carry more weight plus they will have to listen to mcfaddens account of what happened. Not sure what he can say he was trying to do. He went off injured as well a few minutes later although I actually have no idea if it was related. It quite possibly wasn’t.
@Chris Mc: I’d say the intent would trump whether he actually connected. Either way I’d say his seasons over. With Adam Byrne and Barry Daly out too we’re a very light on 14s now.
@Jim Demps: the linesman bottled it on the pitch. The clown might just have ruined his last game for Leinster
@Jim Demps: Don’t forget he’s clearly pulling Reidy toward him by the shirt. Hard to explain why you want to get that close if you don’t mean for it to land…
@Neil Dunn: era ya, he’s no dirty player but he’s obviously just had a flash of red. I’d imagine he’ll plead guilty and get about 4 weeks
@Jim Demps: Aren’t linesmen called a touch judge in rugby? Just saying..
@Mike Keane: they’re actually officially called assistant referees but I’m sure any of the three are acceptable
@Chris Mc: https://twitter.com/mckeown49/status/1122944478170497025?s=21
There’s a better camera of it. He’s in trouble I’d say.
@Jim Demps: think he was clattered by an Ulster player clearing out a ruck shortlg after.
@Zealot: bad few minutes for him so then
@Martin Quinn: What are you talking about? There’s plenty of rugby fans in Ireland who don’t want Leinster to win just like there would be plenty of Leinster fans who’d want Munster’s opponents to win. It’s called rivalry. There’s nothing wrong with rivalry. Does it really make one f king iota of difference who other posters are supporting in the final? Your team is there. That’s all that matters.
Fair due grandslamkbo I just get so pissed off by this guy and his I am only helping : he has been on here 10 times on this Fergi thing;; More than any other poster ::Fergi is gone for the big games ::he did not do much but you use the head::not much you can say. You have some fair points:: I was down in my club on Saterday week and I was cheering for Munster as I always have :: I may have problems with their posters on here but never with Munster and their players who gave their all ………
@Jim Demps: that’ll do, see ya later ferg.
@Jim Demps: he in trouble all right. So should Reidy with the right and left punches in the lead up to the headbutt. Why is no one talkin about that?
Player throws a few punches get a bang back and moans to the ref. Hate players like that.
@Ro Molloy: I didn’t see any punches but if he did throw a left and right then ferg should have done a Bierne and when down like a sack of spuds and he’d have won a penalty and still be available for a championship cup final.
@grandslamkbo: how would you think that translates into the National team. It is probably one of a few big problems here.
Utter gobshittery from Ferg. As a senior player he should know better than that. Has ruined any chance he had of playing a role in the run in.
@Oval Digest: Pity too if it’s the end of his career as a Leinster player as many are predicting. One of the best squad players for Leinster and Ireland over the course of his career.
@Eddie Hekenui: Nah he’ll be around next year. Not sure who’s predicting that but the Awards Ball was last night and no mention of him finishing.
@Eddie Hekenui: Yea those predictions are premature, he’s around next year.
@Oval Digest: Just seen lots of talk from Leinster fans that’s he’s either leaving or retiring. It’d be great if he stayed though. Perfect player and character to have around while so many are away at the WC
Reidy deserves credit for staying on his feet. If he had dropped to the ground a red card would have been more likely.
@Kingshu: ah come on, he’s not Tadhg Beirne…
@Kingshu: fair play to him for not playacting. I wonder what he did to get a reaction like that.
@Kingshu: only Matawalu and Beirne do that crap
@Kingshu: he will know better the next time, stay on your feet and the ref won’t apply the proper sanction, go to ground and the player gets what he deserves. It’s ultimately the refs bottling decisions like this that will lead to diving.
Beirne did the right thing because Munster won the match from that.
@Bungee Aky:
Did you ever play the game ?? Pride is one of the most important part and diving is not our way:: you should be ashamed BA
@Martin Quinn: Ive over 60 caps at AIL level, played more rugby than your ever watched kid and ashamed my left one.
Beirne was hit a cheap shot by a prop who had no interest in playing the ball and was just looking to dole out a cheap shot, if Beirne had stayed on his feet, which would have been a hard task after being hit unawares by a 120kg prop it wouldn’t have been a penalty and it should have been, if schoeman had any interest in playing the ball it wouldn’t have happened.
If The ulster lad went down, it would and should have been a red card, so take issue with the refs not policing the game properly before you go on about honor because cheap shots designed to injure players are not being picked up by refs.
@Bungee Aky:
Is that all , I played 19 years at Senior level :: that would be averaging 25 to 30 games a year :: OK ::ever year I played in Lansdowne Rd. at least 2 times> Played in Munster 4 times a year, played in Ulster 4 times a year, I played in Connacht 4 times a year:: in those days we went all over the country and they all came to us :: Made some great friends still there to this day ::: that is what the game was all about :: we played in different times but at the end of the day it was our love of Rugby the game and all the people :::I never went to the ground unless I was hurt not to get a call::a thing called PRIDE
PS :: Do you call them caps :: never here those games call “CAPS” You played for your Senior team in your Senior Club (is that what you mean ??)
This was a really poor piece of refereeing from Clancy and an AR who should have stuck by what he saw . If it happened on the other side of the pitch were Joy Neville was McFadden would have been off as she has proven to believe her eye sight .
@Peter Dickson: Neville is useless and Clancy is worse
@Baz Dunne: Neville is quite a good ref. Not sure what you’re on about.
@Con Cussed: shock horror someone defends the damzel in distress.
@Baz Dunne: shock horror you just got back from crèche and posted something that equal to your age and IQ.
@Bungee Aky: thanks king troll
Hopefully a long ban, disappointing and reputation ruining for McFadden.
@Rochelle: yawn….
@Rochelle: don’t feed the troll people.
@Rochelle: Not reputation ruining for me. He stamped three times on Nathan White’s head a few seasons ago. My opinion of him isn’t changed by this at all. Do find it strange that whenever it’s an Ashton or a Hartley up for citing, we tend get a laundry list of previous offenses but no Irish outlet seems to be pointing out it’s the second act of serious foul play McFadden’s committed in an interprovincial game.
Quin, Baz, David, Dunner, & Roibeard … well now ???? Nothing to see said Baz !!! You others need glasses
@Walter Obrien: I couldn’t see what i was supposed to be looking at, but when I saw it I admit it looked bad.
@Walter Obrien: you obviously don’t get sarcasm lad. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the game. Ferg isn’t a dirty player but if he did headbutt Reidy the citing commissioners will react accordingly.
Btw, are still trying to perpetuate a myth that Jimmy Gopperth and Michael Bent were booed by Leinster fans?
I’ll bet you can’t produce a single video or report to back up your claim.
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: http://ovaldigest.com/index.php/ballad-michael-bent/
There you go bud. Might have been before your time as a rugby fan but it’s even written by the commenter above. I’m sure he’ll corroborate.
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: Burnt big time by Jim lol !! Man did you walk into that one !! Lol
@Walter Obrien: Jim is full of shiiite. The 42′s very own mouth piece.
@Walter Obrien: Jim Jim can say what ever he wants as can his loyal poodle Eddie.
They are both on mute….. So they can knock themselves out I’ll never read any of their comments.
Too bad, as it appears both have developed a bit of fixation with me of late.
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: “if he did headbut Reidy..”
He did headbut Reidy.
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: FYI Jim shared this, a report confirming Bent was booed on a number of occasions.
http://ovaldigest.com/index.php/ballad-michael-bent/
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: Haha
@Jim Demps:
@Jim Demps:
There you go BUD Might have been before your time as a rugby fan before you turned into a something else
There you go Jim boy and the fool Walter Obrien
These are the words from a great Club man on how he was hurt by his own people ::His Mother worried expression :: I think Walter was one of them as he seems to know about it !!
“I wasn’t cracking jokes anymore,” he noted. “I wasn’t listening to music, I love listening to music. In the car, on the way in to training I’d have my radio off, I was constantly thinking. Weird things go through your head; I wondered, ‘Why am I putting myself through this?’.”
https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/munster-rugby/ewan-mackenna-munster-used-to-embody-everything-great-about-irish-sport-ut-those-days-are-long-gone-38053524.html
Hang down you heads lads !! I would say only some of the fan base but enough to make him feel that bad about himself :: SAD
@Jim Demps: If Bent was booed then it’s absolutely horrific but is the evidence for this one paragraph towards the end of an article? “Similarly, the mood within Leinster’s fanbase has been unforgiving, with Bent being actively booed by a section of the ‘ultras’ in the RDS terrace in recent weeks. Delightful stuff.” The author doesn’t even claim to have heard it himself. Maybe he did, but if this all the evidence we have to go on, it is entirely reasonable to expect some suspicion. It would be nice to hear some first hand accounts because if it’s true, then that really does suck.
@grandslamkbo: era I’m not bothered one way or the other, just don’t like all the hypocrisy from some people who think the Keatley incident was the only one ever in Irish sport. Matt o Connor went through a tough time too and certainly got booed and a hard time from the fans. These things happen in professional sports as much as we’d all prefer they didn’t. Go ask oval. He wrote it, presumably it’s based on fact.
@AmbroseHoulihan:
And here is yours :: for your information AmbroseHoulihan :: in his own words : From a great Club player ::so Sad
“:I wasn’t cracking jokes anymore,” he noted. “I wasn’t listening to music, I love listening to music. In the car, on the way in to training I’d have my radio off, I was constantly thinking. Weird things go through your head; I wondered, ‘Why am I putting myself through this?’.”
https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/munster-rugby/ewan-mackenna-munster-used-to-embody-everything-great-about-irish-sport-ut-those-days-are-long-gone-38053524.html
@Martin Quinn: howya Martin, I actually noticed that when you posted it, but thanks anyway
@Coco86:
HA HA HA you are some child ::read below and be ashamed of you fellow fans !!
I wasn’t cracking jokes anymore,” he noted. “I wasn’t listening to music, I love listening to music. In the car, on the way in to training I’d have my radio off, I was constantly thinking. Weird things go through your head; I wondered, ‘Why am I putting myself through this?’.”
https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/munster-rugby/ewan-mackenna-munster-used-to-embody-everything-great-about-irish-sport-ut-those-days-are-long-gone-38053524.html
@AmbroseHoulihan:
Sorry but there is some stuff going on this page . Did not mean to push you into it. Please accept my Apologia
@grandslamkbo:
I remember that time but only that the Irish public were going crazy because he was just brought in and he got a fair roosting from all sides :: I went to a good few games seeing Leinster playing and I would be annoyed at him being pushed in :: but do not remember BOOing ::as it was not done in Rugby games
The first time was the Keatley incedent but he talked about so we know that it hurt:: Love to ask Bent the same question about his time::there would not be a Rugbyfan who would have given him a chance of still being here and so well liked ::and such a good squad player !!
Funny old game !!
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: good man, the best thing I ever did was mute Jim Dumps. I didn’t mute Rochelle cos she’s funny and an obvious troll, but dumps actually things his opinion is important.
@Martin Quinn: you keep taking your medication Quinn but up the dosage cos all the booing started in the RDS and the only fool here is you after being proven wrong. That’s you proven WRONG …. fool.
@Walter Obrien: Jim a good kisser? U idiot
@Baz Dunne: only idiots on here are Quin, OBeachain and yourself who have been proven wrong (many times) now hop along laddie
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: Don’t like to hear the truth … poor boy
@Jim Demps: Matt oConnor was not a player and as one of his biggest critics I never boo’d him at a Leinster game. At every chance I got I said his style of rugby was not right for Leinster and his refusal to play younger players was damming. I would have paid for his ticket out of Dublin myself.
@Walter Obrien:
Have you talked to Kealey about his hurt :: but why would you as you don’t know anything about the game and are just following in your little gods footsteps , if Jim says jump you say how high:: Sad Sad little man !!
@Martin Quinn: Still haven’t admitted you were wrong though … poor sign of a man. As for my rugby playing …. you’d be very surprised I can assure you !
@Baz Dunne: could not agree more Baz.
@Martin Quinn: Wow. I’d say your Mother is very proud x
2 yrs in a row he could miss 2 finals
“… He’s not a dirty player…”
Headbutting someone on the field of play is pretty much text book definition of ‘dirty player’
His season must be over, if not by the citing commissioner then leo has to be big enough to make a statement that that behaviour is unacceptable.
That was the 4th time you have voiced your concern on this article :: why so often ::once they produced that video you point was made !! and if you were upset with that piece of “”thuggery “” you never played the game:: He should be called out because he made the lung (did not look like he did too much connection but just doing it was enough)
Totally stupid from McFadden, he was supposed to offer example to the younger players.
Surely in a case like this it’s the fact he through the head butt should underline the decision not where it lands…, really poor by Clancy !
Totally stupid from McFadden, he was supposed to offer example to the younger players.
Not defending for a second what he did but this business of holding players and pulling them back needs to be disciplined too.
@Chris Mc: Certainly, not sure it’s going to be punished by a sanctioned number of head butts, though…
@Chris Mc: Interestingly enough there was an example of how that sort of situation should be refereed in Super Rugby this weekend. Thomas du Toit was holding Jed Holloway off the side of a maul and lashed out elbowing him in the face. Holloway got a red card and du Toit got a yellow.
@Eddie Hekenui:
There is the answard :: but once he aimed his head it should be game over .
@Martin Quinn: This is becoming a common response of mine to your replies but read what I said. I’m not defending McFaddens actions or giving mitigating circumstances. Chris mentioned the issue with players holding others off the ball and getting a reaction so I posted a comment that highlighted a referee dealing with that very scenario in what I think is the right way. A red card for the violence and yellow card for the instigator
@Eddie Hekenui:
You got me wrong I fully agree with you :: it was a good decision to sort out both those players.
Regarding Fergie once I saw the video and he made the lung ::red card :: he probley got held but not enough to warrant losing the head and what he did
@Martin Quinn: You’ve gone off the deep end Martin. You’ve been spending too much time with trolls like Baz and Riobeard and obsessing over Jim.
@Eddie Hekenui: that’s exactly what I’m on about Eddie. Can’t defend a headbutt in any way.
Doesn’t look good for Ferg unfortunately. He let himself down. However no mention of the Reidy punch in the lead up to the headbutt!!!!!!! Surely that deserves a sanction as well.