Rory Best

[shamalicious]

That's only if it's without doubt his verbals were aimed at the ref.

[Lurgan Lad]

Would be shocked if Hartley made the Lions tour now, big question is will Best make it now and, if so, get meaningful gametime?

[Jackie Brown]

I know it stinks of an RFU inside job, but apparently his hearing is on Sunday. Therefore, I predict he'll only get a 1 week ban, making him eligible to play in the 2nd Lions game. So I won't get my hopes up for Rory.

PS. I thought Rory's post-match interview was a measure of the class act he is. At such an emotional time, he gave credit to Leinster, he didn't complain about ref, and he admitted that Ulster have to stop using the learning curve excuses and start delivering when it matters.

They would have to clear him to let him not miss the lions. The minimum end for verbals to an official is 6 weeks so there is no chance of a 1 week ban

I dunno, theyll give him 6wks the reduce it to 1wk for appearing at the hearing and not verbally abusing them.

Ross Ford is prob backup anyway...

[Husky]

You can't go by the time-scales they state because history shows that they're utterly meaningless. They seem to be more of a guide than actual rules. Also, it's an RFU panel, dealing with an England international, selected by English scrum-coach Rowntree.

[bootlaced]

Watching the Avila highlights,Youngs first throw is crooked. Commentator says that has been his Achilles heel all season.

[Mac]

Guardian

Dylan Hartley out of Lions unless panel accepts abuse was for player...............

Dylan Hartley will be ruled out of the Lions tour to Australia unless he can persuade a disciplinary panel on Sunday that he aimed the words "feck cheat" at his opposite number – and Lions colleague – Tom Youngs and not the referee Wayne Barnes, during Northampton's 37-17 Premiership final defeat to Leicester. The official reacted to the hooker's outburst just before half‑time by reaching for his red card.

The minimum recommended suspension for verbal abuse of an official is six weeks, almost the length of the tour. The Lions leave for Hong Kong on Monday but Hartley's participation will depend on Sunday's hearing chaired by Jeff Blackett, the Rugby Football Union's chief disciplinary officer. Hartley will join the trip only if he can prove the words were not aimed at Barnes or he receives a short ban.

The Lions' head coach, Warren Gatland, wants all his 37 players to be available for the second match of the tour, against Western Force in Perth. A two-week ban would make Hartley unavailable for the third game, against the Reds in Brisbane, and rule him out of the tour.

"I spoke to Dylan at half-time and again after the game and he told me the words he used were aimed at Tom Youngs, not Wayne Barnes," said the Northampton director of rugby, Jim Mallinder. "If you speak to a fellow player like that you do not expect anything to happen and I will fully support Dylan at the hearing."

A problem for Hartley if Barnes remains convinced the remark was aimed at him is that the hooker has previous: he was suspended for two weeks earlier this year for striking the Ulster hooker Rory Best, who would be the beneficiary if the Lions call up another hooker, and sat out eight weeks last season for a biting offence during the Six Nations while in 2007 served six months for gouging.

"I did not hear what Dylan said but he has the full support of all the players," said Tom Wood, who took over as captain when Hartley was sent off. "He is the heartbeat of our club, someone who plays on the edge. He is our leader and we will back him all the way."

Hartley started to have problems with Barnes halfway through the opening period when Northampton were penalised at a number of scrums. Three minutes before the break, after the player made comments following another scrum decision, the official took him to one side and said: "This is not how you behave as captain: please keep your comments to yourself. If you talk to me like that, I will deal with it."

Then, with time up on the clock, Stephen Myler took a drop-out but kicked it into touch on the full. Barnes awarded Leicester a scrum as Northampton complained, wrongly, that he should have blown for half-time. When the scrum collapsed and Leicester were awarded a penalty, Hartley made his cheat remark.

"If he was talking to Tom Youngs, he was factually correct," joked the Leicester director of rugby, Richard Cockerill, who was accused by Northampton of trying to intimidate the fourth official after taking exception to a late tackle by Courtney Lawes that left the Tigers' fly‑half Toby Flood concussed. "Wayne Barnes is an experienced official and he would be 100% sure in his thinking."

The Italy captain Sergio Parisse received a six-week ban, reduced to three on appeal, for swearing at a referee during Stade Français' Top 14 match against Bordeaux in February, while in 2009 the Ireland flanker Alan Quinlan missed the Lions tour to South Africa after being suspended for gouging.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/ma ... tley-lions

Also
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 96585.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... final.html

[Snipe Watson]

It's far from clear cut.

[tommyblue]

Well done gatland . You sleep with dogs - you get fleas

[Kofi Annan]

"I spoke to Dylan at half-time and again after the game and he told me the words he used were aimed at Tom Youngs, not Wayne Barnes," said the Northampton director of rugby, Jim Mallinder. "If you speak to a fellow player like that you do not expect anything to happen and I will fully support Dylan at the hearing."

Well , there you go kids,it's okay to take to the park and call a fellow player a fûcking cheat, Mr Mallinder should rethink that comment.

Snip , are you being serious

I slept with a dog once, got more than fleas and she stole my watch,

[Russ]

If Gatland was any way of a man, he would dump the prat

[davejohnston]

I hope Hartley gets the recommended ban (no more and no less) and this gives Best the opportunity to not only tour but play for the Lions.

Hope the panel don't use Hartley's good record to reduce the ban again http://m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/mar/ ... ferris-ban

[Lurgan Lad]

Must say on a big occasion Rory's throwing was spot on, I remember one that was thrown towards the tail and the Leinster guy jumped in front of the Ulster guy, other than that don't really recall any steals?

[Snipe Watson]

Snip , are you being serious

Yes. It's the RFU with their let's make the punishment fit the agenda agenda that we're talikng about.
I have no confidence in them doing the right thing.

Sergio Parisse received a six-week ban, reduced to three on appeal

The RFU could easily go down to two for some spurious reason and let him tour.

[AyeYerMa]

They could accept that his remark was not aimed at Barnes and offer to drive him to the airport.

[Snipe Watson]

They could accept that his remark was not aimed at Barnes and offer to drive him to the airport.

That too.