Leinster put foot down over Baugh 'shoeing'

Rugby News round-up: Leinster have cited Cardiff flanker Dan Baugh for an alleged stamp on Keith Gleeson in the Heineken European Cup match at the Arms Park last Friday night. The Irish province followed due process to have the 29-year-old Canadian international brought before a European Rugby Cup Ltd (ERC) disciplinary tribunal.

ERC guidelines dictate a team have 50 hours from the scheduled kick-off of the match in question to cite an opposing player. Previously the regulations referred to a 48-hour window from the time the game finished.

The Leinster management, having reviewed video footage and spoken to the Irish international openside, considered Baugh's footwork sufficiently dangerous to warrant an official investigation.

The incident happened near the end of the first half, when Baugh appeared to bring his foot down on Gleeson's face/shoulder at a ruck. Referee Joël Jutge and his touchjudges saw nothing untoward, but Gleeson - who is with the Ireland squad in Lanzarote - had a red mark running from his cheekbone to his jawline after the match.

The match was televised live by Sky, and the number of cameras present augurs well for a definitive view of the incident.

Cardiff are adamant the 27-time-capped Canadian has no case to answer and, in a strongly worded response, club chief executive Robert Norster asserted: "I, together with the club's coaching and management staff, have reviewed the alleged incident on video.

"We have unanimously agreed that Leinster's action is unwarranted. We will vigorously contest the matter at any formal hearing that may result."

Baugh is certainly no shrinking violet, having been sin-binned three times in a run of five Celtic League matches earlier in the season, for which he earned an automatic one-match ban.

One of those yellow cards was produced against Leinster when Baugh received a 10-minute rest for a swinging-arm, off-the-ball tackle on wing Brendan Burke.

Cardiff's disciplinary record this season is poor, with 11 yellow cards and one red, for Craig Quinnell. This follows a tally of 28 yellow and two red cards last season.

ERC confirmed Leinster had cited Baugh but were unable to set a date for the hearing, though they could do so later today. It is not expected to be until the New Year, given the proximity to Christmas and the logistics of convening a tribunal with no Irish or Welsh representatives.

But time is not too tight, as the European Cup does not resume until Friday, January 9th.

ERC also admitted that Celtic Warriors have cited Perpignan second row Christophe Porcu for incidents involving Warriors props Gethin Jenkins and Christian Loader.

Meanwhile, Ulster's Tony McWhirter has been forced to withdraw from the replacements bench for Saturday's Celtic Cup final against Edinburgh at Murrayfield with a hamstring injury. He is replaced by former Springbok Warren Brosnihan, who has recovered from a shoulder operation during the summer.

Munster captain Jim Williams has been named as the Guinness Draught Can Irish Celtic League Player of the Month for November. The former Australian international has been the personification of consistency throughout Munster's Celtic League campaign.

Munster battled on without many of their star names while the World Cup was in progress and looked to Williams for inspirational leadership, which he duly provided.

Leicester coach Dean Richards last night launched a scathing attack on the staging of England's World Cup celebration match.

The non-cap challenge between an England XV and the New Zealand Barbarians at Twickenham tomorrow will be watched by a 70,000-plus crowd.

But call-ups have hit several clubs hard for this weekend's English Premiership action. Richards has accused Premiership clubs of "selling their soul" by agreeing to the fixture. Leicester and their east midlands rivals Northampton, it is understood, were the only clubs to vote against the hastily arranged encounter.

Tigers travel to Northampton tomorrow, and because of events at Twickenham, both sides are understrength. Leicester have lost Martin Corry, Ollie Smith and Daryl Gibson, with Saints minus England pair Ben Cohen and Paul Grayson.

Richards, while delighted England won the World Cup, is furious with the latest disruption to his squad.

"Yet again, we go into a game disrupted even further by an England side playing a New Zealand side. It's something we could have done without," he said.

"Whether it is Daryl Gibson with New Zealand, or Ollie Smith and Martin Corry with England, it's three quality players we could have done with. It's the price you pay for selling your soul."