Cian Healy free to play pending new disciplinary hearing

Cian Healy has been told he is free to play for Leinster as he awaits a new disciplinary hearing.

An independent appeal committee scrapped Healy's two-week suspension for clashing with Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado during a European Champions Cup match on December 13.

That leaves Leinster free to pick the Ireland prop, but the appeals committee also ruled the incident must be reviewed by a different disciplinary officer at a later date.

In the meantime Healy is in line to take on Munster this weekend in an all-Irish PRO12 meeting.

Live PRO12 Rugby Union

A initial charge of striking with the knee was ruled not proven, and was amended by Welsh judicial officer Roger Morris to "Dangerous charging or obstructing or grabbing of an opponent without the ball, including shouldering", in breach of Law 10.4 (f) and (k) of World Rugby's regulations.

Healy and Leinster then appealed against the amended sanction, claiming Morris failed to follow due process in imposing the revised charge.

Healy was cleared to play in last Saturday's return fixture with Toulon as he waited for his appeal to be heard on Wednesday

In a statement, tournament organisers European Professional Club Rugby said: "An independent appeal committee has today allowed an appeal by the Leinster Rugby player Cian Healy against the two-week suspension imposed on him as a result of a citing complaint following his club's European Rugby Champions Cup round three match against RC Toulon.

"The appeal committee determined that the decision of the independent judicial officer at a disciplinary hearing on Thursday, December 17 should be set aside, and Healy is therefore free to play with immediate effect.

"However, the appeal committee also decided that the original citing complaint against the player should be reheard at a later date by a different independent judicial officer from the disciplinary hearing."