Rugby World Cup/Disciplinary matters: The saga of the 16th man ended yesterday in Sydney when a Rugby World Cup judicial hearing imposed a £10,000 fine on England and handed their fitness coach Dave Reddin a two-match ban for ignoring the instructions of touchline officials in the closing stages of Sunday's game against Samoa in Melbourne.
The punishment seems reasonable enough given England's admitted error in sending on Dan Luger, without authorisation, as a replacement. More important, Reddin was cleared of inciting a post-match clash with the fourth official, Steve Walsh, whose own conduct may be the subject of a separate International Rugby Board inquiry.
Clive Woodward, England's head coach, will be highly relieved that an increasingly fraught affair has been drawn to a close.
It took almost four hours at the offices of a Sydney law firm before the verdicts were delivered and Woodward is now free of distractions as his squad prepares for the knockout phases next week.
Reddin will be barred from the touchline for Sunday's game against Uruguay in Brisbane and will also miss the following weekend's quarter-final after the RWC judicial officer, the Irish solicitor Brian McLaughlin, ruled he had ignored the fifth official, Brett Bowden, and sent Luger on to the field while Mike Tindall was still being treated for cramp.
"There were a range of mitigating circumstances, including a clean record, character evidence and an apology," said McLaughlin. "But this was weighed against a number of factors including the fact the directions of the match official were ignored and the need to maintain the integrity of the match officials."
The English RFU was "delighted" that an allegation of misconduct against Dave Reddin had been dismissed after the IRB heard fresh evidence relating to his heated disagreement with Walsh, one of New Zealand's most prominent referees.
There have been allegations that Walsh called Reddin "a loser" and followed him down the tunnel, squirting water at him and clipping his heels.
After arriving for the hearing through a side entrance 90 minutes before it was due to begin, Woodward and his party left through the front door but without passing comment, leaving communications director Richard Prescott to deliver the England reaction.
"The England squad and management accept the judgment and now look forward to the fixture against Uruguay on Sunday," he said.
"We are delighted the allegation of misconduct against Dave Reddin has been dismissed. He is, and will remain, a valuable and well respected member of the squad."
Guardian Service
