Munster forward Alan Quinlan will miss the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa after being handed a 12-week ban.
Irish forward misses out on Lions tour after ban for eye incident
Munster forward Alan Quinlan will miss the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa after being handed a 12-week ban.
Quinlan was found guilty of making contact with the eye area of Leinster captain Leo Cullen during a Heineken Cup semi-final clash at Croke Park on May 2.
Quinlan's suspension means he will be kept out of rugby until September 10 - more than two months after the Lions tour ends - with rugby's summer-off season not included in the period he cannot play.
Quinlan was reported by match citing commissioner John Byett following the Cullen incident, which had been graphically captured on television slow motion replays.
A three-man independent disciplinary panel, chaired by Welshman Roger Morris and containing compatriot Simon Morris and England's Mike Hamlin, decided Quinlan was guilty of Law 10.4 (an act contrary to good sportsmanship) in that he made contact with Cullen's eye area.
Hearing
At the end of a lengthy hearing, the panel decided Quinlan's offence was at the low-range of the level of seriousness for such an offence, and banned him from today until September 10.
The Ireland international has the right of appeal, but Lions head coach Ian McGeechan must now consider a replacement, with Leicester and England flanker Tom Croft the favourite ahead of Wales captain Ryan Jones.
34-year-old Quinlan has won 27 caps for Ireland but did not feature in this year's grand slam-winning side, and was a surprise selection in McGeechan's Lions squad.
He is now the third player to miss the Lions tour, after his Munster colleague, scrum-half Tomas O'Leary, broke his ankle three days after the party was announced and has subsequently been replaced by Scotland skipper Mike Blair.
Wales centre Tom Shanklin then suffered a serious shoulder injury on Magners League duty and faces four months out - his replacement has not yet been announced.
McGeechan's Lions squad assemble in Surrey next Monday. They fly to Johannesburg six days later, and play their opening game against a Royal XV in Rustenburg on May 30.
The 10-match trip culminates with three Tests against world champions South Africa in Durban (June 20), Pretoria (June 27) and Johannesburg (July 4).
